Enhanced
by TheHatterM
Summary: Sequel to Doctor, Doctor. Follow Steve and Nadia as they attempt to navigate this next stage of their lives, both as a couple and as heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N – Welcome to the sequel to Doctor, Doctor. If you haven't read that before this, you're going to be a bit confused. I would appreciate any feedback, thoughts or opinions on this story so please leave a review!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter One

Nadia sat at the dining table with dozens of papers strewn out before her and her laptop open. Her glasses sat perched on her nose as she sorted through hers and Steve's finances. She was trying to pay their bills, which was hard to do since they were broke. She had lost her job at the zoo after taking down SHIELD, and since the top-secret organisation didn't exist anymore, Steve was out of a job too. There were few people who were willing to hire the two of them since they usually disappeared for long periods of times for missions and they tended to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Nadia sighed, throwing down the papers and rubbing her temples. Her savings had been depleted a long time ago, and Steve's backpay from the army had helped them through the last few weeks, but it was running low. It was times like this she wished she had her medical license, so that she could do casual work through house calls, but that wasn't a possibility anymore.

To top it all off, Nadia was still working through her emotions from the battle. She had glimpsed what kind of monster she could be, what she was capable of, and for the first time she had needed to consider life without Steve. It had terrified her.

Keys jangled in the door and Steve entered the apartment, a grocery bag in one hand and a garment bag in the other. She smiled when she saw his hair sticking up everywhere from the wind and leaned back in her chair. He tossed the garment bag on the back of the couch and settled the grocery bag on the kitchen counter.

'Hello there,' he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. 'What are you doing?'

'Trying to pay the bills.' Nadia sighed again. She took her glasses off and set them on the table with the paperwork.

'Not going well?' Steve guessed, walking into the kitchen.

'We're broke, Steve. We need jobs. We have two weeks before we're going to get evicted. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be homeless.'

Steve began to unpack to groceries, mostly cheap, unhealthy meals that would last them a while. Nadia watched him, eyeing him critically for any sign that his injuries hadn't fully healed.

'Tony called.' Steve said suddenly.

Nadia raised an eyebrow. 'Random change of subject, but okay. What did he want?'

'He wants to talk. He's calling the whole team in.'

'Must be serious then.' Nadia got up from her chair and crossed her arms. 'What else did he say?'

'Not much. You know Tony. He likes to be dramatic.'

Nadia smirked in amusement. Steve turned towards her and put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. Enjoying this small moment of intimacy, Nadia wound her arms around his neck, curling the hair at the base of his skull around her fingers.

'Don't do that.' Steve murmured, his forehead coming down to rest against hers.

'Do what?' She replied with a cheeky smile. Steve closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. She enjoyed teasing him. He is usually so in control and serious, so she loved shaking him up.

'Anyway, he asked us to be at the tower tonight.' Steve continued after a moment.

'What time?'

'He said around seven.'

'Well,' Nadia dropped her arms from around his neck, glancing at the time. 'I'd better hop in the shower then.'

'You know, we're on a budget.' Steve began, tightening his hold on her waist. 'We should probably shower together. To save water.'

'That would be the responsible thing to do.' She agreed with a grin. Steve leaned down and their lips met. She hummed in contentment, pulling him closer.

Steve's kiss intensified, his tongue brushing against hers and Nadia moaned, pushing her hands into his hair to pull him closer. They were making out like teenagers in the kitchen, and Nadia was loving the simplicity of the moment. They didn't often get times like this to just be a couple, and they had been so busy the past few weeks that they hadn't been together like this in far, far too long.

A knock at the door made them pull apart, and Nadia frowned. She could sense a single person outside the door, but they weren't expecting anyone which made her instantly suspicious.

'Stay here,' Steve said, his playful demeanour gone. His tone, however, contrasted his messy hair and swollen lips and Nadia had to fight off a snicker.

He stalked towards the door, snatching one of Nadia's knives up as he went. He looked through the peephole and shot his girlfriend a confused look over his shoulder as he opened the door. Agent 13 – Sharon – stood on the other side, blonde and pretty and smiling.

'Captain.' She greeted with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. Nadia watched as the obviously besotted woman bat her eyelashes at Steve and she was torn between amusement and jealousy. She couldn't blame Sharon – her boyfriend was a handsome man, but he was very much taken and she didn't much like this tall, leggy blonde coming in a trying to flirt with him.

'Sharon. What are you doing here?' Steve asked, tucking the knife he'd taken into his back pocket. Nadia noticed that he didn't dispose of the knife and frowned. She knew that his experience with the fall of SHIELD, the secrets and the lies had made him more cautious around people, but it still disturbed her that her boyfriend was unsure of where to place his trust.

Nadia edged out of the kitchen, keeping to the shadows with her arms crossed and watching the conversation with sharp eyes.

'Well, we fished this out of the Potomac.' She said, reaching to the side and pulling out a large canvas bag. 'Thought you might want it back.'

Steve took the bag and unzipped the top. He smiled as he pulled out his shield, newly polished and repaired from battle. Nadia knew how much the shield meant to Steve. It was a gift from Howard Stark, who helped him during the war, who was his friend and who was gone now. It was a reminder of a friendship that was absent.

'Thank you.' Steve said, shooting Sharon a grateful smile. She shifted on her feet and tucked her hands into her jacket. 'Would you like to come in?'

'I don't want to intrude.' Sharon said, but Nadia didn't miss the hopeful expression that flashed across her face.

'It's not an intrusion.' Steve said, stepping aside so that Sharon could enter the apartment. He closed the door behind her. Steve walked into the living room, settling the shield onto the dining table and Nadia stepped quietly into view. Sharon was blatantly checking Steve out and Nadia felt anger flare up in her chest.

'So, I heard you got a job at the CIA.' Steve began, turning back to Sharon, who quickly drew her attention back to his face.

'Yes, well, with SHIELD gone, it seemed like the logical solution.'

'They're lucky to have you.' Steve said and Sharon's smile widened. Nadia stepped closer into the living room and Steve spotted her. 'There you are. Doll, you remember Sharon?'

Sharon whipped around and stepped back immediately, as Nadia had been standing right behind her. Nadia couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at seeing the guilty look cross the woman's face. She'd obviously thought Steve was alone.

'Nice to see you again, agent.' Nadia said serenely. 'Very kind of you to return Steve's shield to him.'

'I volunteered. I wanted to apologise, again, for the deception. Fury ordered me to keep an eye on the two of you, and living next door was the best way. It wasn't anything personal.'

'You were just following orders.' Steve said. Nadia couldn't recall ever getting a first apology, let alone a second for being spied upon, but decided to let that go.

'Yes, well…I'd better be going. I don't want to hold the two of you up.' Sharon said, turning towards the door.

'Oh, well, good luck with your new job.' Steve replied, opening the door for their former neighbour. She bade them goodbye and left as quickly as she could. Nadia waited for the door to close before she burst into hysterical giggles. Steve frowned at her.

'What is so funny?' He asked, following her into the bedroom.

'It's not really funny…' she replied, changing out of her yoga pants and pulling off her shirt. 'It's just, she's so obviously into you.'

'Sharon?' Steve asked, watching as his girlfriend pretty much gave him a strip show in their bedroom. He was having a hard time concentrating on their conversation.

'Yes, _Sharon_. She came here, hoping to get you alone, which she thought you were by the look on her face.'

'She came to give me my shield.'

Nadia rolled her eyes, picking a shirt and jeans from the closet. 'Please, Steve, don't be naïve. She volunteered to return your shield so she could see you again.'

'You think she likes me?' Steve asked incredulously.

'She's definitely attracted to you, by the way she was staring at your ass.' Nadia zipped up her jeans roughly as she spoke.

'Nadia, I am not interested in Sharon.'

'I know you're not, but it would help if you noticed when women were trying to flirt with you in the middle of our living room.'

'I don't really notice other women when you're around, doll.'

Nadia shot him a look, but her cheeks went pink as she pulled a shirt on. 'All I'm saying is be mindful when she's around. I don't trust her around you.'

Steve smirked. 'Noted. Now, how about that shower?'

'No time. Stark said he wanted us at the tower at seven. We have to go, or we'll be late.' Nadia said, but she still stepped closer to Steve. She put her hands on his chest and looked up at him through her eyelashes. His arms settled around her waist immediately, the curve of her body familiar to his hands.

'But we have time for this?' Steve retorted cheekily, not minding the situation at all.

'Shut up, Rogers.' She snapped before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him quickly, but passionately. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to leave Steve breathless and wanting more. He was sometimes awed by the love and passion of the woman in his arms.

Nadia pulled away a moment later, breathing hard but with a very satisfied smile on her face. She took his hand and grabbed her jacket with the other.

'Come on. We have to go.'

Steve only smiled, following her out of the apartment and down to the street. Steve drove them to a private airfield, where they boarded a Stark Industries helicopter. The couple spoke quietly along the way, pondering what Tony wanted to talk to the whole team about. As the Avengers tower came into view, Steve turned to Nadia.

'I was thinking…' Steve began.

'That's always dangerous.' Nadia teased. Steve threw her an irritated look at the interruption.

'I was thinking, have you thought about the possibility of us moving back to New York? There isn't really anything keeping us in DC.'

'The thought did cross my mind.' Nadia admitted. 'It wouldn't necessarily be cheaper, though.'

'We would be closer to the team, and I grew up here.'

'I understand. But we would also have to leave Peggy behind. Could you handle not going to see her every Sunday for your scrabble games?'

Steve was silent and they both sat, contemplating their next move.

The pilot indicated that they would be landing soon and that they should strap in. The helicopter manoeuvred gracefully through the air to land on the landing pad. Nadia and Steve thanked the pilot before undoing their seatbelts and opening the door. Steve helped Nadia down and they both hurried inside and out of the harsh wind that the helicopters blades stirred up. The others were already waiting. Natasha stood with Clint, both in deep discussion. Thor stood staring out the window, his hammer resting on the coffee table. Tony was on the phone while Rhodey spoke with Maria Hill. Bruce stood in the middle of the room, looking nervous as always.

'We're not late, are we?' Steve called, as he and Nadia made their way down the stairs and into the spacious living area. Everyone turned towards them and called greetings. Thor was the first to reach them.

'It is good to see you again my friends.' He said, shaking Steve's hand and giving Nadia a bone crushing hug. Over his shoulder Nadia saw Hill give her a nod in greeting.

Natasha was close behind, giving Nadia and Steve a hug each. She hadn't seen them in weeks as she worked to find another cover after she blew all of hers. It seemed she was on more stable ground with the US government though, as she had been in the country for a few days.

'You changed your hair.' Nadia noticed, referring to Natasha's curly red locks. The spy had taken to straightening her hair as of late, but perhaps she didn't have time to iron out her natural waves anymore.

'I like this jacket.' Natasha replied, eyeing it critically.

'Thanks. It's yours.' Nadia said and the two friends grinned at each other.

'Hey Cap,' Clint said, coming over to shake Steve's hand and give Nadia a hug. He smiled at her warmly, and Nadia's chest filled with emotion. It felt good to be back with her family and friends again.

'Alright, my turn to hug the golden couple.' Tony pushed his way in and took Nadia into his arms in a rare show of affection. He'd called her after he'd seen what had happened at the Triskelion, demanding to know if she was alright and if she or Steve needed anything. He pretended he was aloof and didn't care, but Nadia knew he had a big heart.

'Good to see you, Cap. You're looking good for a man who died for nothing.' Tony shook Steve's hand, adding in a snarky comment just for good measure. Steve merely pursed his lips, unimpressed.

'Not for nothing.' He replied seriously, and Tony took a step back.

'Well, pizza is on the way. I already ordered, so if you guys don't like it, you can suck it up because it's free food.' Tony gestured to the plush couches. 'Please make yourselves at home.'

They all moved as one to the living area, taking their seats and chatting as they went. It felt good to connect with her old team again, and for the first time in a long time, Nadia felt she could relax, joke around and have fun. These people knew her, trusted her, and she enjoyed their company. Thor told them about how he had been adapting to life on earth, how his girlfriend Jane was teaching him to use things like the internet and the microwave. Rhodey spoke about how the governments of the world were scrambling to regain some kind of control and order after the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA. Once the pizza arrived, Steve told the entire story of what went down the day SHIELD fell, including the fact that the Winter Soldier was Bucky.

'Damn,' Rhodey shook his head, 'That is all kinds of messed up man.'

'Do you have any leads?' Bruce asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs, pizza in hand.

'Just what Natasha gave us. We haven't been able to find much.' Nadia replied with a sigh, throwing a pizza crust back into the box. 'We've only just started looking though. We're not giving up.'

'Just be careful. A guy like Barnes has survived this long by being smart. He won't be easy to catch.' Tony cautioned.

'Neither will all those HYDRA agents that got away. It's going to take months for the agents SHIELD has left to track everyone down.' Hill said, trying to scoop the melted cheese into her mouth.

'Which is why I called you all here.' Tony said, throwing his napkin down and getting to his feet. He tapped a small, glass tablet on the palm of his hand as he spoke.

'Here we go.' Clint muttered.

'When our dear Black Widow here dumped all of HYDRA's secrets onto the internet, JARVIS alerted me to some information that I thought might interest you all.'

Tony flicked his wrist and a hologram of a sceptre appeared, the glow of the stone casting a blue light over the people gathered. Thor leaned forward with a deep frown.

'Loki's sceptre.' He said, his deep voice troubled.

'SHIELD is in pieces and nobody is going to be able to handle the kinds of threats that HYDRA will undoubtedly produce. Especially if they have that sceptre.' Tony said, eyes solemn.

'Not just the sceptre, all kinds of alien tech they gathered from the invasion.' Natasha added.

'So, what's the plan, Stark?' Nadia asked, trying to get to the point.

'We get the band back together, take down HYDRA, put the bad guys away.' Tony surmised.

'Just like that?' Bruce asked, looking around the room for some support.

Thor immediately got to his feet. 'The power of Loki's sceptre cannot remain in the hands of mortals.'

Natasha stood up slowly and turned her head towards Tony. 'I'm in too.'

'I suppose someone needs to watch your back.' Clint joked, standing up beside Natasha and nudging her shoulder jokingly. She shoved him back and he fell over the couch with a muffled grunt.

Nadia glanced at Steve and she saw a determined glint in his eye, one that she knew well. He had made up his mind and he would not be deterred. He raised his eyebrows at her, asking a silent question. Nadia knew that they had to do this, that this was part of the fallout from the mess they created. They had to do their part to make it right. She nodded at him and they rose to their feet together.

'We're in too.'

'Oh goody. The golden couple is joining us.' Tony groaned.

'You asked us here, remember?' Steve snapped and Tony just rolled his eyes. All eyes turned to Bruce, who sat nervously wringing his hands.

'I don't know guys. Having the Hulk in an active battle zone isn't the best idea.'

'You were in a battle in New York not that long ago, Bruce.' Natasha reminded him.

'We were fighting aliens, not humans. The Hulk didn't have to restrain himself. When you're fighting humans it's different.'

'We can work on your control, Bruce,' Nadia offered, going to sit with him and putting a hand on his shoulder. 'We can do it together, as a team. We'll figure it out. We won't let you hurt anyone.'

'We promise.' Steve added for good measure.

Bruce still seemed unsure, but after he looked around at the faces in the room, he sighed, giving in. 'Okay, okay. I'm in too.'

Tony clapped his hands together, rubbing them in excitement. 'Excellent. Your apartments are all ready to go. You can all move in tomorrow.'

'MOVE IN?!'


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N - Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed. I appreciate all the support and love. Please leave a review!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Two

Tony hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the Avengers could all move in. He'd had five floors completely converted into lush, comfortable apartments for each of the members. The apartments sat below the hangar for the quinjet, with the common area and laboratory sitting above that. Thor was the closest to the common floor, and so had access to the balcony in case he needed to take off suddenly. Bruce was next, as he wanted easy access to Tony's state of the art lab and should an incident occur with the Other Guy, Thor was only a floor away.

Natasha's floor was next, followed by Clint's and the last apartment belonged to Steve and Nadia. They were the only two that were sharing an apartment but given that they were the only ones in a serious relationship, it made sense.

The floors of the Avengers Tower were ridiculously modern, filled with up and coming technology and gadgets as well as fashionable furniture, which all turned out to be comfortable as well. Tony had an entire area designated to building Iron Man suits, the lab was state of the art and there was always a tablet or laptop lying around. Tony had fitted out the common area with a bar, pool table, couches and a huge tv. The kitchen was down the hall along with a formal dining area. The gym resided on the floor below Nadia and Steve's and it had every kind of workout gear imaginable, including an archery range for Clint. Tony had gone to a lot of trouble to make this tower a home, and it was a kindness that Nadia wouldn't forget.

Steve and Nadia had returned to Washington after the meeting to pack up their apartment. It hadn't taken them more than a few days, as they hadn't acquired a lot of material things in their time together. Maria Hill (who now worked for Stark Industries) had helped organise removal trucks to pick up their things and take them to the quinjet, which was waiting at a private runway; it was easier than driving their things all the way across the country.

The hardest thing about moving away from Washington was leaving Peggy behind. They had gone to see her before they left, and she had been both excited and sad. She was happy that they were taking the next step in their lives, that they were dedicated to making their world safer after the fall of SHIELD, but she was also devastated that they were leaving. They had promised to call, and come back and visit, which cheered her a little. Nadia had felt guilty – Peggy's family came to visit, but not very often. She must be so lonely in that nursing home, slowly losing the memories of those most precious to her. It broke Nadia's heart.

Steve was just as sad to leave her behind and Nadia understood why – apart from Bucky (who was MIA) Peggy was the only person left who remembered Steve from before. Not to mention, she was Steve's first love, and that kind of connection is strong even after seventy years. Nadia had reminded Steve that they could take trips to see her and that the doctors would keep them updated on Peggy's health. It was with those reassurances that Steve and Nadia left Washington.

They set up their apartment with their meagre belongings. They had taken the opportunity to make the place truly theirs by painting the walls and hanging pictures that had been packed away in boxes for far too long. Most of them were black and white, photos of the Howling Commandos, Steve and Bucky when they were young and fresh-faced, before war and violence aged them. There were even photos of the couple together, on their vacation, at formal events or just pictures they took when they were lounging around at home together. Steve's favourite was one had had taken of Nadia, curled up in his leather jacket and sweatpants on the couch, her glasses perched on her nose as she read a book. Her favourite of Steve was one of him sharing a genuine, soft smile as she looked at the camera and he looked down as her. With every photo they hung, Steve would tell Nadia a story about the people in it, and within a few hours, Nadia had learned much of Steve's past, things he had never really spoken of before.

His mother was one of those subjects. He had a small, black and white photograph of a couple on their wedding day, and Nadia had taken a long look at them. It had obviously happened during the war, as the man was dressed in a military uniform. Steve's mother, Sarah, was dressed simply but elegantly in white. The couple wasn't smiling, but they stood close to one another, their arms looped tightly, and their eyes shone with happiness.

Steve told the story of how they had met in Ireland and after courting for two years, moved to America for a new life in the land of opportunity. They got married and planned a whole life together after the war, but Steve's father, Joseph, never came home from the fighting. Sarah was devastated at the loss of her husband, and to make things harder, she was left with an sickly infant son. In a time when working women had hard lives, Sarah dedicated herself to raising her son to the best of her abilities.

Nadia had listened with rapt attention, surprised and happy that Steve felt so comfortable talking about his past with her. He had never kept secrets from her, but getting him to open up was difficult sometimes, especially about his past life. She listened with rapt attention to how he grew up learning Gaelic before English because that was the language of his ancestors, how his mother nursed him through all his illnesses and taught him everything he knew. He had clearly adored his mother and had been devastated when she died.

'I didn't know you spoke Gaelic,' she said, folding clothes into her new dresser. 'Are there any other secret talents you're hiding that I should know about?'

Steve smiled, coming over and sliding his hands around her waist and putting his chin on her shoulder. 'Like what?'

'You tell me,' Nadia giggled. Steve huffed a sigh.

'Well, I learned French from Jacques during the war.'

'Really? So, you're multilingual.'

Steve shrugged. 'We had to pass the time when we weren't on missions somehow.'

'What else don't I know about you?' she asked cheekily.

'I can draw just as well with my feet as with my hands.'

Nadia wriggled out from his grasp. 'Really?'

'Mm hmm.' Steve nodded with a little grin. 'What about you? Any talents I don't know about?'

'Well…' Nadia frowned, 'During medical school we had to practise stitching for procedures. I found that I enjoyed it and I got pretty good at it. So, I took up embroidery soon after that. I never got the hang of knitting, though.'

'Sewing?' Steve repeated, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched her flutter about their new bedroom.

'It was relaxing,' she explained, 'It kept my hands busy and my mind quiet. It was a great way to keep myself in control.'

'You sew, you cook, you're a doctor, and you also know multiple kinds of martial arts and weaponry. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?' Steve grinned as she shut the dresser.

'It's why you love me.' Nadia smiled, coming over to sit on Steve's lap and winding her arms around his neck. His hands immediately found their way around her waist, pulling her closer until they were nose-to-nose.

'True,' he murmured, eyes dropping to her lips for a moment before coming back up to meet her gaze. 'You do keep me on my toes, doll.'

Nadia hummed, putting one of her hands on his cheek and dipping her lips down to meet his in a soft, sweet kiss. Steve pulled her tighter against him, wanting to feel her warmth. She had felt so far from him lately, and he had missed their intimacy. The moment was ruined, however, when Steve's stomach growled loudly.

Nadia pulled away with a small laugh and gazed at him fondly. She hopped up from his lap and held out a hand to him. 'Come on,' she said, 'let's feed you before you start getting grumpy with everyone.'

He took her hand. 'I do not get grumpy.'

'Yes, you do. When you're overly tired, or hungry…or when we run out of coffee.' Nadia listed as they walked out of the apartment and to the elevator. Steve hit the _up_ button with his free hand.

'You make me sound like an old man.' Steve grumbled. The elevator arrived and they stepped inside.

'News flash, Steve. You technically _are_ an old man.' Nadia teased. Steve rolled his eyes at her.

'Technically, yes. But do I look like an old man to you?' he asked, stepping away from her and holding his arms out so she could inspect him. Her eyes raked over him slowly, from head to toe and then back again.

She took both his hands in hers and pulled him closer to him again, an amused smile on her face. 'You definitely don't _look_ like an old man.'

'Thank you.'

She couldn't help but add, 'Even if you act like one sometimes.'

The elevator opened. 'Oh, for god's sake.' Steve groused.

Nadia laughed, loudly, as they made their way through the common area and to the kitchen, where a delicious smell was coming from. Nadia was still giggling when they rounded the corner and found Clint at the stove, stirring something in a pan with another, larger pot bubbling on another burner. He was wearing a frilly pink apron with _Kitchen Bitch_ on the front. Natasha was standing behind him, leaning against the large island bench and holding a glass of red wine, grinning.

'There you guys are! I'm making carbonara, so grab a seat. It won't be long.' Clint grinned around at them. Natasha turned around, pulled the wine bottle towards her and grabbed another glass from the cabinet.

'Beer's in the fridge!' Tony called from the dining table, where he sat with Bruce and Thor, cards in front of them. Steve made for the fridge, grabbing another bottle of beer and popping it open before going to sit with the others at the table. Natasha held out a full glass of wine to Nadia, who accepted it with a smile.

She took a small sip and looked at it appreciatively. 'Wow. That's really nice.'

'Thank Pepper. She's been collecting wine for years.' Tony said, not looking up from his cards.

'And Clint. I didn't know you could cook.' Nadia said, leaning over to smell the delicious aroma that was rising up from the sauce bubbling on the stove.

'He's the only reason I survived long missions.' Natasha admitted.

'You can't cook?'

She snorted, 'I burn water.'

'Good to know that the Black Widow isn't good at _everything_.' Nadia teased and Natasha stuck her tongue out at her.

'Had to learn how to cook at a young age.' Clint explained, 'It was just my brother and I for a long time, and he was useless in the kitchen. We didn't have a lot of money, so I had to get creative sometimes with what we did have.'

'I didn't know you had a brother, Clint.' Nadia said, eyebrows raised.

'He's dead now.' Clint said brusquely. Nadia winced at the abrupt way he spoke and felt his pain – she didn't know what she's do if she lost her brother, even if they weren't very close.

'Clint.' Natasha admonished.

He looked over at Nadia and he must have seen the expression on her face and his own demeanour softened. 'We fell out, years ago. He got involved with the wrong people, and it got him killed.' He explained.

Nadia bit her lip. 'Did you get who was responsible?'

'I put an arrow through his eye, if that's what you mean.' Clint grinned devilishly and Nadia couldn't help but smile at his morbid humour.

Clint grabbed the large pot of pasta off the stove and turned towards the sink to drain it. Nadia got out of his way and started rummaging in the cupboards for bowls. She managed to find some and passed them over to Natasha who laid them on the bench.

'I think you made a bit much, Clint.' Nadia stated, looking at the large volume of pasta sitting in the pot.

'We have to feed a god, a super soldier, two enhanced people and two ex-assassins.' Clint reminded her.

'Good point.'

'Grab the garlic bread from the oven, would you?' he asked and Nadia did so, laying the foil covered loaves on a plate as dinner was served.

'Alright, losers! Come and get it!' Clint called. The men at the table dropped their cards and slid their chairs back noisily to get collect their dinner. Steve hastily swept the cards into a neat pile and put them to the side before joining the others to collect their dinner. They each collected their bowls and swept to the table, each claiming a place. Nadia grabbed the garlic bread and Natasha grabbed the wine. Bruce placed the leftover pot of carbonara in the middle of the table in case anyone wanted seconds.

They each sat around the table, happily eating their meal as they chatted. They complimented Clint on his culinary skills and teased Tony about his miserable attempts at cooking in the past, which had resulted in more than one appliance exploding. Thor and Steve wolfed down their servings and helped themselves to another helping.

'Does he always eat like this?' Bruce asked Nadia, watching as Steve inhaled is meal.

'Pretty much,' she answered, taking a sip of her wine. 'Can't blame him though, his metabolism runs so fast I'm surprised he's not constantly hungry.'

'At least he has table manners.' Bruce murmured, watching as Thor gulped down his beer in a few mouthfuls. When he was finished, he belched loudly, which made them all laugh.

Nadia looked around the table and felt very grateful. The people who sat beside her lead dangerous and complicated lives; they didn't get to sit around like this very often, enjoying a simple meal and each other's company. The foster child that lived deep within her was smiling, because after so long, she finally had a family.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N – Okay people! Bit of angst in this chapter, so prepare yourselves. I'd appreciate if you could drop me a review with your thoughts!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Three

Within weeks a routine had been established at the Avengers Tower. Tony and Bruce mostly kept to the lab, with Nadia popping in to help regularly. Their main focus was tracking down HYDRA, or anyone who was in business with them. It was proving difficult, but not impossible. They had already reported six safehouses to local authorities and over twenty arrests had been made.

Nadia spent her free time either going to local homeless shelters to volunteer and offer medical advice, or with Tony. Cut off from most ways to practise medicine in a legal fashion, she was learning about engineering and mechanics to occupy her considerable brainpower. She found that it wasn't as difficult as she'd initially thought and while Tony was not a patient teacher, he was thorough. Nadia found she enjoyed the work, as it kept her hands busy and her mind active as she learned something new. Tony had her tinkering away in the workshop in no time.

The team would train together at least four times a week. Nadia was spending her time with Natasha mostly, as they were both women, of the same height and abilities. They could learn off each other and implement techniques of fighting that men aren't used to seeing on the battlefield. Bruce tried to stay out of the way, mostly watching as Thor would swing Mjolnir around nervously. Steve took to boxing and he still went on his daily runs, however he was slowly teaching Tony some basic hand-to-hand, as he shouldn't rely on his suits to do the fighting for him. It took them weeks, but eventually they found a rhythm, a way to fight together but still be individuals. It was a breathtaking feeling.

Steve and Nadia had figured out their own little routine too. He was as determined as ever to hunt down HYDRA, and most of his efforts during the day went towards achieving that goal. This meant that they didn't see each other during the day very often, however, the two spent their evenings together. They would usually make dinner and then watch a movie before they would go to bed to engage in more pleasurable activities. They'd sometimes be up all night, both as insatiable as the other and more than willing to explore all the ways they could make each other feel good. They liked the fact they had an apartment to themselves, where they could be as loud and adventurous as they liked without disturbing anybody. It was hard for them to keep their hands off each other when they were alone.

Which is what lead to Nadia sitting on the bench in their bathroom, her phone on the counter and two pregnancy tests sitting on a piece of tissue a foot away from her and well out of her eyeline. She was trying not to freak out, not until she knew the result, but her mind couldn't help but make leaps.

She had changed birth control methods a few months ago, going from the pill to an implant and she knew that it could mess with your system and that it may take time for the body to adjust. While she had been late in the past, she had never actually missed a period. She reasoned that perhaps it could be due to stress. After all, she had dealt with the fall of SHIELD, thinking Steve was dead, going on a manhunt for someone who may try to kill them all, and moving to the other side of the country in a matter of days. It was reasonable that her body was trying to catchup.

There was the very real possibility that she was pregnant though.

At first Nadia felt fear – she wasn't ready to be a mother. She and Steve had had a very brief discussion about children, months ago, but it wasn't anything definitive. Nadia knew that Steve wanted children, someday, but that was as vague as it was general. Most people wanted children – the question was when? How many? What was the plan? She thought she wanted children, but she didn't feel ready for one. She didn't have a proper job, or a place of her own, hell she wasn't even married! How would she take care of a baby, especially in the current climate of the world? Nadia had never had a mother of her own, either, how would she know how to _be_ one? Would she even be a good mother, or would she screw up her child so badly they would never forgive her?

She thought of her own childhood, jumping from home to another, bullied and beaten and never knowing any kind of familial love until her brother came along, years later. She thought of what Tony had told her of his own rocky relationship with his father and her anxiety grew.

On the other hand, an image popped into her mind, a very pleasant one of her and Steve and a baby, a small house in the country where the air is fresh. No more missions and fighting, no more danger and the world at peace. The thought made her heart ache for it. She knew Steve was her future, of that she had no doubt, but she didn't know what their future looked like. They lived together, they loved each other, but that was it. They didn't discuss future plans, the things they wanted to do. She had never seriously considered a family before, but in that moment, she yearned for it, as if it was the piece of her that had been missing.

Nadia didn't know where Steve stood now though. He was so consumed with hunting down HYDRA and finding Bucky that she barely saw him. She felt, somewhere deep inside, that they should have taken the next step in their relationship long ago, whatever that was. Perhaps he wasn't interested in that kind of life anymore, maybe he just wanted her, at his side, fighting the bad guys for the rest of their days.

But she wanted more. It had only taken this long for her to see it. For the first time in a long time, Nadia knew what she wanted out of life. She wanted to make the world a better place of course, but she also wanted happiness, a family.

She jumped as the alarm on her phone sounded and she fumbled with shaking fingers to turn it off. Heaving in a shaking breath she slipped off the counter and turned, picking up the tests from the counter.

Negative.

Both negative.

Nadia dropped the tests onto the counter and sighed heavily, unsure whether to be relieved of disappointed. On the one hand, she wasn't ready right this moment to be a mother, but she knew that someday, she would like to have a child of her own.

She gathered the tests and threw them in the small bin behind the door and washed her hands, resolving to speak to Steve about what his thoughts for their future were, and if she was in it.

* * *

It had been far too long since Steve and Nadia had been out on a date together. They hadn't gone overboard, just a simple picnic dinner in the park. They had talked about nothing of consequence – movies they wanted to see, the book Steve was reading at the moment and how Nadia was finding tutelage under Tony. It was simple conversation, the kind of talk that couples adored because they didn't have to think about censoring their words or appearing clever, it was just the two of them spending time together and sharing their thoughts in an effort to be closer to one another.

They had taken a walk around the lake in Central Park before deciding to head back to the tower, walking hand in hand and feeling at ease. Or at least, Steve did. He had noticed that Nadia seemed somewhat tense. She appeared happy to be in his company and was happily contributing to their conversation, but her eyes seemed distant, like she was thinking of other things.

'Steve?' she asked suddenly.

'Mmm?' he hummed in reply. They had reached the tower, and he opened the door for Nadia, ushering her inside ahead of him.

'Do you ever think about the future?'

Steve frowned and in jest, replied, 'Like apes taking over the planet?'

Nadia smiled, '_No_. As in your personal future. What you want from life.'

'Of course.' He said immediately. Steve watched as she entered the personal code into the elevator to access their apartment; she wasn't looking him in the eye.

'Am I in it?'

The elevator doors slid open and Steve hit their floor button. He waited until the doors had shut and they were on their way before he took her face in his hands and stepped close to her, determined that he would be understood clearly on this matter.

'Nadia,' he said gently, blue eyes burning into her grey ones, 'you _are_ it. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it.'

A radiant smile spread over her face and she took a small step closer to him and put her hands on his chest gently. She looked so happy at hearing his answer that his heart swelled with emotion.

'What do you imagine, exactly?'

'I imagine the two of us finishing with this job – hunting down HYDRA and putting them all away. I imagine us finding Bucky and helping him figure out who he is so that maybe he can have a normal life. I imagine us getting a house somewhere, with lots of land so you can turn into any animal you want and have room to run.' He grinned, watching with amusement as Nadia laughed. 'I imagine you getting your medical license restored so that you can practise medicine again like you've always wanted. I imagine getting a job at some army base training soldiers to make the world a better place. I imagine living the rest of my life with you.'

The elevator doors opened to their floor and reluctantly the two stepped away from each other and into the apartment. Steve watched Nadia's reaction closely, wondering what it was she hoped to learn by asking him these questions. He was concerned, however, when he saw her expression fall slightly in disappointment.

'Anything else?' she prodded, taking off her jacket and sitting on the couch, facing him with an earnest expression.

'I'm open to suggestions.' Steve smiled, sitting opposite her. In truth, he had known for a long time that he wanted to marry this woman, but he was uneasy about actually asking. He had learned that many women in this time didn't believe in marriage and he feared that maybe Nadia wouldn't be open to that. To him, it was the ultimate declaration of love and commitment, but if she didn't want to do that, he would be happy just to spend every day of the rest of his life with her.

He watched as she nervously began picking at her nails and biting her lip. 'Well…do you ever think about us, maybe…getting married? Someday?'

His heart pounded in his chest at those words. She sounded so nervous, like she was afraid Steve would reject her and he hastened to put those fears to rest. 'Yes, I have. I mean, I grew up in a time when couples would fall in love, get married and then move in together. We've done things a little differently than I'm used to, but I'm so happy with you Nadia. I've thought about marriage, but I didn't want to push you into something you may not want.'

'Why wouldn't I want that?' Nadia frowned, cocking her head to the side.

'Some people in this century don't believe in the institute of marriage. I was raised to believe that it was what people in love did when they wanted to spend their lives together. That's what I've always wanted too, but I didn't know if you would.'

'You could have just asked my opinion.' She pointed out, as if it was the simplest thing in the world and wouldn't open a giant can of worms.

He grinned sheepishly. 'True.' He paused a moment before shifting closer to her, taking one of her hands in his and running his thumb over her knuckles. 'So, would marriage be something you'd consider for us? Someday?'

'I think so, yes.' Nadia replied, looking at him with those grey eyes that could see right through him. Happiness of a new sort filled Steve and he kissed Nadia swiftly and ardently, surprising even himself at the passion of his response. They sat there, wrapped up in each other's embrace and feeling more in love that ever at the knowledge that they were both committed to a long-term relationship. It had always been assumed before this, but now, with things out in the open, they both felt secure.

Steve eventually pulled away, panting a little and trying not to smile as Nadia tightened her grip on him. 'I have an idea,' he said, leaning in and kissing the side of her neck softly. She gasped. 'I'll grab some candles and wine, we can watch a movie together and have some quality time.' He punctuated every word with a kiss and he adored the little sounds Nadia made when he did.

'We don't have any wine.' She managed to say, 'But I think Natasha does. I'll pop up and ask her for a bottle. You get the candles.'

Steve leaned back and felt a little bit of pride at the dazed look in Nadia's eyes. 'I'll meet you back here in five minutes.'

He pressed another hard kiss to her lips and watched her get, skipping lightly across the living room to the door and slipping out quickly.

He stood there for a moment longer, happier than he could ever remember being. For the first time since he came out of the ice, he felt like his life had structure again. He had a mission to protect the world, friends who watched his back and liked him for who he is and not what he represented, and above all, a wonderful woman who wanted to marry him one day.

Grinning from ear to ear, Steve got up from his perch on the couch and turned, looking around him. He spotted their best blanket draped over the armchair and grabbed it, settling it on the couch for Nadia to use later when she inevitable got cold.

With that, he made his way into the bathroom, flicking the light on as he went. He crouched near the cabinet under the sink and dug around for the vanilla scented candles that Nadia liked so much. He grabbed four of them, trying to balance the bulky wax in his arms. He was concentrating so hard on not dropping the candles that he accidentally stubbed his toe against the door. Swearing, he dropped the candles and they rolled in every direction on the floor, upending the small bin in the corner.

'Steve?'

Nadia was back with the wine and he heard her moving about the living room. 'I'll be right there!' he called back to her.

Bending to retrieve the candles, he got on his hands and knees to crawl into the cramped space behind the toilet, manoeuvring his big body in an awkward way to try and retrieve it. His fingers closed around the cold wax and he pulled it out, setting it beside the others. He turned his attention to the unintentional mess he had made and sighed. He turned the bin over and started picking up the bits of floss, tissue and used makeup wipes and depositing them back into their rightful place. He froze, however, when his eyes landed on two sticks lying face down on the tile.

Now, Steve was no expert, but he had seen enough modern-day movies to vaguely recognise what they were – pregnancy tests. With shaking hands, he picked them up and turned them over. He didn't know what the result was, but his mind raced.

Why hadn't Nadia told him that she'd taken these? Was this why she had asked about their future together? Was she expecting their child and she wanted to know where he stood before she broke the news?

Steve felt irritation prickle in his chest. A thousand things ran through his mind as he tried to process the information and he didn't even realise that he'd left the bathroom and walked into the living room, eyes glued to the little blue line in front of him.

'Steve?' Nadia's voice came through the thick fog that clouded his mind and he finally looked up at her. She was standing at the end of the couch, eyes wary as she looked from his face to the objects in his hand. She said nothing.

'What is this?' he asked, his voice calm while a storm raged in his head. He held up the tests in his hand as evidence.

Nadia bit her lip. 'Steve…'

'Were you going to tell me?' He took a step closer to her. Nadia crossed her arms over her middle and sighed.

'They're negative. I didn't see the point.'

Steve's eyebrows went up. 'You thought you were pregnant, and you didn't think you should tell me?'

'I didn't think it would be a good idea, no.'

'Why?' His voice rose a little, betraying the anger he felt. Nadia frowned at his tone and uncrossed her arms, no longer defensive but indignant.

'Because until a few minutes ago I had no idea where I stood in this relationship, Steve! I know that I love you and that you love me, but for months I've been trying to figure out where this is going, trying to figure out what our future holds. I didn't take it too seriously until I suspected that maybe I might be pregnant. Then I started thinking about what I want.'

'Which is?'

'A family.' She snapped. Nadia had lost patience. 'One day, when we've made the world a better place, I want to leave all this fighting behind and have that life you talked about. The one with the house and the big yard and yes, even children. I want everything I never got growing up and I want that with you.'

By the end of her impassioned speech there were tears in her eyes and for the first time Steve saw just how insecure she had felt all this time in their relationship. His shoulders slumped as shame hit him like a flood for not being more open with Nadia about what he felt for her.

She wasn't done though. 'I've been so confused lately, Steve, and I had no idea how to bring my concerns up with you. This is all on top of feeling like I have to compete with Peggy at every turn. I adore that woman, but sometimes I can't look at her and not feel like you're trying to replace her still. That she will always be your first choice and I am just the consolation price.'

Her words hit Steve like a slap. 'What?' he gasped, taking a step towards her. 'Nadia, no…'

'So, you wouldn't pick her? Be honest, Steve. If you had the choice to be with her, to go back and live your life over, would you? Or would you stay here? Would you choose me?'

Nadia still had tears shining in her eyes, but her chest with heaving with emotion. Steve saw every doubt, every secret thing she had been thinking the last few months – god knows how long – and felt ashamed. And then he felt angry.

'Look,' he began, moving towards her until she had had to tilt her head up to look at him. 'I'm sorry if you've felt vulnerable in our relationship, Nadia. I should have made it clear to you sooner that you are everything to me, that I adore you in every way and that I cannot bear to think of living one day without you. I've thought about our future together every single day since I met you because I am so sure that you are the only one for me. But I can't read your mind. If I had known you felt this way, I would have assured you that I would pick you. _Every. Single. Time_. Your insecurity isn't a reason to keep something like this from me, though.'

Steve held up the tests again, and Nadia's eyes glanced at them and then back to his face when he started speaking again.

'This really hurts. I can't tell you how much.' His voice was softer now, and he saw the regret flash across her face. 'You should have talked to me about this.'

Nadia crossed her arms again. 'How can I, when you've been so consumed with finding Bucky and hunting HYDRA? You're either on missions or following leads all the time. I hardly see you these days and when I do, I'm so happy that I forget all about this.' She sighed, rubbing her forehead. 'How did we get here?'

She sounded so lost and sad that Steve felt his heart hurt. He took a step closer to her just as the door opened. Tony walked in, his face serious as his eyes flickered between the two of them.

'Knocking isn't one of the things that went out of style while I was in the ice, was it?' Steve drawled, eyes narrowing at the man standing in their threshold.

'I own the building. I'll go anywhere I damn well please, Rogers.' Tony snarked back. 'Besides, this isn't a social call. We got a hit. A HYDRA base popped up on our radar. Arms, ammunitions and lots of bad guys that need a lesson in manners. The whole team is getting ready, so hustle you two.'

With those parting words, Tony turned around, leaving the door open behind him. Nadia and Steve glanced at each other and he sighed.

'We'll finish this later.' Steve said regretfully, striding past her and he heard her soft footsteps follow. She closed the door behind them.

'Duty calls.'


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N - Apologies for the long delay. It's been a crazy time. I will try to update more frequently from now on. For now, please enjoy and be sure to leave a review. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Four

They assembled on the hangar floor, a huge area that echoed when someone walked through. The quinjet was sitting behind them, the wings folded over the hull. Lockers and cabinets sat in the room to the side, where they were able to store their equipment, extra clothes and go-bags. A small table with a computer stood to the side, where they all gathered now. They had all changed into their mission gear – Nadia and Natasha in their black suits, the only tinges of colour the gold and green vines on Nadia's back and the electric blue tasers on Natasha's wrists. Bruce stood by in loose jeans, a t-shirt and cardigan, his glasses sitting crookedly on his nose. Thor towered over them all, armour glinting and scarlet cape draped from his shoulders. His blonde hair fell around his face, eyes serious. Steve stood in his new stealth suit, his shield strapped to his back and his arms crossed. Clint was wearing a long-sleeved jacket, his bow and quiver slung over his shoulder as his sharp eyes concentrated on the briefing. Tony stood in his Iron Man armour, helmet sitting on the table and projecting a hologram of their target from its eyes.

'This is the target,' Steve said, slipping into what Nadia called his _Captain Mode._ 'The base is three levels with one basement. They have laboratories on the second and third floor, with the first being their secure area and the basement as their way in and out through an underground road. They have mercenaries patrolling the perimeter and they're carrying weapons that have been modified with alien technology. We estimate about thirty HYDRA agents on the base.'

'So, what's the plan, Cap?' Clint asked, eyes flicking up from the hologram to Steve's face. The image in front of them shifted, zooming out so that the surroundings of the building were visible.

'The base is located in the desert in Turkey. It backs onto cliffs and looks out onto the desert plains, meaning that they will see us coming.'

'Not if we go in at night.' Nadia spoke up. 'I can create some cover for us, so they'll never see us coming if we move quickly.'

Steve looked at Nadia a moment too long before he nodded. 'Alright. You, Thor and Natasha go in from the ground. Tony, you cover us from the air and Clint and I will come down from the cliffs.'

'What about me?' Bruce chimed.

Steve hesitated. 'You're back up. You wait in the quinjet just in case things go south.'

Bruce nodded, looking solemn.

'You heard him, troops. Wheels up in five.' Tony said, snatching his helmet up from the table. The team dispersed from around the table and set off in different directions. Tony, Bruce and Clint boarded the quinjet and set about getting ready to take off. Steve began speaking to Thor in hushed tones about strategy while Natasha practically dragged Nadia into the locker room.

The redhead checked the door to make sure they weren't followed before turning to the other woman with her arms crossed. 'Okay, spill.'

'Pardon?' Nadia's eyebrows went up.

'You and Steve.' Natasha elaborated, 'What's going on? Are you alright?'

Touched by her concern, Nadia slouched a little and sighed. 'We had a fight.'

'About what?'

'You're being awfully nosy.'

'I'm your friend, it's my job.' Natasha snarked. Nadia's lips twitched.

'He got mad at me because I didn't tell him I thought I was pregnant.' Nadia replied, ploughing on even as Natasha's mouth dropped open. Nadia explained the entire argument in a hushed voice, glancing every now and then towards the door to make sure no one overheard. By the end of it, Natasha was wearing a deep frown.

'Well you two better sort out your shit. If you two can't work it out what hope it there for the rest of us?' she said, face wistful.

'I just don't know where we stand right now.' Nadia mumbled.

'Oi! You two girls done gossiping so we can get this show on the road?' Tony shouted in their direction and Nadia rolled her eyes. She and Natasha started towards the quinjet, speaking in low voices as they went.

'What should I do?' Nadia whispered.

'I think you both need some time. Take a step back and re-evaluate your situation and really consider what you want.' Natasha said as they boarded the quinjet and took their seats. They said nothing else to each other, but Natasha reached over and gave Nadia's hand a quick squeeze before they buckled themselves in for take-off.

The quinjet was mostly silent on the journey, leaving each of the Avengers to their thoughts. Nadia sat in silent contemplation. She felt terrible about her fight with Steve – she had said some very unfair things and regretted them. She had crossed a line, especially comparing the way Steve felt about her with the way he had felt about Peggy. It would be a lie to say that the indecent thought hadn't crossed her mind, that she would always be his first love, his first _choice_. Nadia knew that the two instances were as different as night and day, but she had been compared to Peggy in the past and it stung. Passing comments from SHIELD agents, reporters and even Steve would sometimes compare their skills in passing conversation. She had tried not to let it get to her, but she was only human.

She realised her mistake about keeping her suspicions about her pregnancy and felt guilty. However, she still felt that her ire about Steve's stance in their relationship was justified. Who wanted to be with someone and not know if they were as serious about the future? Nadia sat, grumbling to herself. She would apologise to Steve for the awful things she had said, but she still felt that Steve could be better at communicating his feelings with her.

Nadia dozed off at one point during the flight and woke with a jolt when the quinjet landed. She looked around and met Steve's gaze. He had been staring at her intensely, a frown line appearing between his eyes. They held one another's gaze for a moment before they both looked away. They had hurt each other with their lack of honesty, and both needed to take steps to make it right.

She stood up from her seat and stretched, her neck and back popping as she did so. The ramp lowered and they all disembarked together. When Nadia's feet made contact with the ground she felt a rush of new information. The air was dry, the ground cold and mostly barren, but she could feel the scuttle of small animals as they manoeuvred through the sand stealthily. Glancing up she saw that there was very little cloud cover and the air was too dry to create fog as a cover to hide their approach.

'Okay,' Steve said, gaining everyone's attention. 'You all know the plan. The base is two clicks that way. Wait for my mark before attacking.'

They all nodded their assent, Tony even throwing a mock salute in Steve's direction before taking off into the sky, activating his stealth mode for perhaps the first time in his life. Nadia shook her head at his antics and glanced at Thor and Natasha. Natasha and she had more experience in stealth, but Thor was the ideal person to have on the front lines. Clint would provide cover for them from the top of the cliffs and Steve would go around the back of the building. Tony would cover all other aspects from the sky.

'Be careful guys!' Bruce called from inside the quinjet before raising the ramp again.

'We'll have to hurry if we're going to scale up that cliff and get behind the sentries, Cap.' Clint said, taking his bow off his back and scanning the horizon. They had landed far enough away that the HYDRA agents wouldn't be able to see them, but they could still see the rise of the cliffs from where they stood.

Steve nodded in agreement. 'Alright, let's move out.'

Clint nodded at both Nadia and Natasha before turning towards the cliffs, setting off at a steady jog. Steve looked at Nadia for a fleeting second, face softening and mouth open as if he were about to say something. He seemed to think better of it, as he took off after Clint, easily keeping pace with him. Nadia sighed.

'Alright.' Natasha jerked her head, 'Let's go.'

'They will see us approaching.' Thor said as they began walking. 'We have no cover.'

'Leave that to me.' Nadia replied, and before she had even finished, the wind around them picked up, swirling around them and erasing their footprints as they walked. Soon, the breeze had turned into a gale, the sand whipping around them but not through them, and Nadia's face frowned in concentration as she protected them from weather she was creating while also keeping it dense enough that they couldn't been seen.

'A sandstorm.' Natasha nodded in approval. 'Good thinking.'

Thor looked about him in wonder as they kept walking forward, the sandstorm growing in size and ferocity around them. Nadia breathed deeply in concentration, her palms turned upwards as they walked as she bent the wind to her will, keeping them from being seen as they drew closer to the HYDRA base.

'Your powers have grown, Nadia.' Thor observed. Nadia smiled grimly. She missed the proud glance that Natasha threw her way.

They HYDRA base sat up ahead of them, nestled into the cliff like it has been carved from the same stone. There were guards patrolling the base, keeping watch with suspicious eyes and loaded guns. Spotlights danced across the ground in the hopes of picking up any unauthorised movement. Barbed wire wove across the chain-link fence that served as a perimeter.

As they got closer to the HYDRA base, Natasha touched the commlink in her ear. 'Barton, status?'

'_We've taken out the sentries up here.'_ He replied, his voice echoing in their ears. _'Cap's gone down to find a good vantage point to go in from the back.'_

'_I'm in position.' _Steve said in a hushed voice. '_Stark_?'

'_Ready when you are Cap._'

'_Romanoff?_' Steve asked.

'We're in position.'

'_Is that you guys? In the sandstorm_?' Clint asked, sounding awed.

'We needed cover.' Nadia said by way of explanation.

'_Alright. On my mark_.' Steve said. He hesitated for another two moments, no doubt watching the movements of the HYDRA agents on guard and waiting for the perfect opportunity to ambush. '_NOW!_'

Nadia released the wind and aimed it in the direction of the building. The sand rushed forward ferociously, blinding the guards on duty momentarily, and knocking a fair few right off their feet. Natasha and Thor didn't hesitate, rushing forward to engage the distracted agents and subdue them before they could fight back. Nadia threw one of the many small knives that were strapped to her suit towards the oncoming attackers, dropping them like flies. When the dust settled, Clint was able to get clear shots of the agents and shoot them from his place on top of the cliffs. Nadia heard gunshots from inside the building and knew Steve must have engaged. A wave of new opponents exited the building and began firing on the Avengers. Nadia erected a wall of stone as cover while Natasha returned fire. Thor leapt forward swinging Mjolnir and knocked the men through the air. Tony flew overhead, releasing shots of his own onto unsuspecting HYDRA agents.

Nadia looked up as a body soared through a broken window on the top floor, landing at her feet and not moving. She looked up towards the building and then around to Natasha. The redhead nodded, as if she had read Nadia's mind and she took Natasha's hand. She took off, flying up towards the broken window and taking Natasha with her. She threw the redhead into the broken glass opening and watched as the former spy rolled to break her fall and came up swinging. Nadia turned and landed next to Thor, their backs to each other as they faced the incoming threats. She drew her daggers, the blades glinting the moonlight.

'_How are we looking, Barton?'_ Steve grunted through the commlink.

'_Sexy, but not like we're trying too hard.' _

'_Barton!' _

Nadia laughed despite herself and had to duck when a HYDRA agent got too close. She threw him to the side with a flick of her wrist, the gun getting knocked out of his hands in the process. She stamped her foot on the ground and the earth rolled like a wave would in the ocean, knocking the advancing soldiers off their feet and falling to the ground, unconscious. Within a few moments, Thor and Nadia had cleared the oncoming attack with the help of Clint and Tony.

'We're clear here.' Nadia said, touching her commlink to convey her message to the others. Thor grinned at Nadia and she returned it. He seemed like a serious, brooding person on first acquaintance, but when you got to know Thor, you realise that not only did he have a great sense of humour, but he was essentially a big teddy bear. Nadia was glad to have him by her side during a fight, trusting that he would watch her back.

'_Clear. We're on level two._' Romanoff called. With a sigh of relief that this mission had gone well, Nadia began stepping over the prone figures on the ground, careful not to step on anyone. Tony landed nearby, the helmet on his suit flicking up as he lead the way into the building. Thor and Nadia followed closely behind, wary in case any HYDRA agents were hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce.

'JARVIS?' Tony's voice was loud in the now quiet base. It made Nadia jump. 'Send in the clean up, would you?'

'_Very good, sir._'

They made their way up the stairs, Tony leading the way, Thor bringing up the rear with Nadia in the middle. The second floor seemed to be a laboratory of some kind, beakers, computers and microscopes on every bench space. Unconscious scientists in white lab coats sat bound in the corner of the room, their heads lolling to the side. The HYDRA logo was embroidered onto the lab coats and distaste filled Nadia's mouth at the sight. Natasha sat at one of the desks, fingers flying across the keyboard. Steve stood at her shoulder, eyes glued to the screen.

'What goodies did they leave for us?' Tony asked, his Iron Man suit opening up around him so that he could step out. He walked around to the computer next to Natasha, where he plugged in a flash-drive.

'Looks like records of weapons deals, transactions and even some files on what they were doing here. There's a lot, so it may take some time to go through it all.' Natasha replied sounding pleased.

Sirens sounded as local authorities showed up outside. Blue lights flashed against the windows. Thor twisted the strap of Mjolnir in his hands.

'Any word on Loki's sceptre?' he asked, his voice gruff but hopeful.

'Gimme a sec…' Natasha mumbled in reply as she looked through the computer. Tony seemed to be copying everything that the base held digitally and uploading it to the server he had back at the tower. No doubt JARVIS was accessing everything through the flash-drive.

'That's interesting.'

All eyes turned to Tony, who was frowning at the screen in front of him. 'What's interesting?' Steve asked, stepping closer to the other workbench.

'Seems like HYDRA has been dabbling in human experimentation.' Tony remarked, turning to meet Nadia's gaze. She stepped forward, the resident expert on the subject and peered at the computer.

There were copies of dozens of reports, formulas, lists of materials and theories, even a few papers that had been written by notable scientists around the world with highlighted sections and what looked like hand-written notes. In front of her sat an extensive record of what is undoubtedly HYDRA's attempt at human experimentation.

'This is very extensive research. This goes back years from what I can see. I can have a look through it all back at the tower, see if they actually achieved anything.'

'You get that, J?' Tony asked, looking towards his suit.

'_Copies of the files will be uploaded to Ms Paolera's personal device._'

Clint jogged into the room, drawing their attention away from the computer screen. 'Locals are here to make arrests. They want to take our statements and coordinate on what to do with all this junk.' He said, looking around the lab.

Just then, something in the huge array of files caught Nadia's eye, and she leaned closer to enlarge the report. 'Guys, this says here that someone by the name of Dr Jensen is the lead scientist for HYDRA. He's been in charge of the human experimentation unit.'

'If anyone is going to have Loki's sceptre, it's him.' Thor nodded gravely.

'Alright. We make finding this guy our top priority then. The longer HYDRA has that sceptre, the more dangerous they become.' Steve said, expression grim.

Nobody disagreed with him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N - Hello everyone! I know the last chapter was a little short, but hopefully this one makes up for it! Don't forget to leave a review!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Five

The Avengers stayed at the newly conquered HYDRA base until well past dawn. They helped the local authorities round up and arrest all agents and with the help of Bruce, who had piloted the quinjet closer to the base, began cataloguing all the merchandise that was held there. The base housed an impressive array of weapons, both man-made and alien, some even a hybrid of the two. The power that these weapons were capable of harnessing was incredibly dangerous, and Tony organised to have them examined and promptly destroyed to prevent them falling into the wrong hands. They each gave statements on what happened before they boarded the quinjet and made their way back home.

Upon arrival they immediately got to work. Maria Hill was waiting for them in the hangar, ready to debrief Steve as to what they had discovered from the information from the HYDRA archives. They walked off together, conversing in urgent, hushed tones. Nadia, Bruce and Tony went straight to the laboratory, where they each sat at their desks and got to work. They divided up the load of data and began sorting through it all, sharing their findings and anything of use. They worked for hours, only stopping for coffee breaks and once, Tony made them all green smoothies which while looking horrible, had tasted surprisingly good. Nadia was relieved to be doing something, as it gave her a task to focus on, rather than dwell on her argument with Steve.

It had been a week and they had barely spoken beyond passing niceties. Nadia had taken to sleeping on the small couch in the lab, too anxious to go back to the apartment and face Steve. Nadia replayed their argument over and over in her head and every time she cringed. She had hurt him badly by not sharing her feelings and doubts with him, but he had hurt her too, keeping their relationship in a state of uncertainty. It was all a big mess and she hated it.

Throwing down the pen she had been using to write notes, Nadia sighed heavily, putting her head in her hands as she leaned on the desktop. They had all been too wired from adrenaline to sleep when they arrived back at the tower and so they had all thrown themselves into their work. They had each grabbed a few hours here and there, but Bruce and Tony were like her – once their mind was focused on a task, something as simple as sleep wouldn't deter them. She shivered in the chill of the lab, eye drooping a little.

'You look cold.'

Nadia jumped, so absorbed in her own thoughts she hadn't even sensed Steve coming. Her gaze swung around and landed on him where he stood lingering in the doorway. He'd recently showered, his hair slicked to the side in a way that made him look painfully handsome. He was holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and he gestured to her with it, moving forward.

'I thought you might need this. You've been in here for days and you haven't slept a lot.' He said gently, placing the cup on the desk before tucking his hands in his pockets. Nadia watched him for a moment before she reached forward, taking a sip and smiling slightly. He had made it exactly the way she liked, and her heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness.

'Thank you.' She murmured. They lapsed into silence. The air was thick with awkward tension. Steve bounced on the balls of his feet as he glanced around the high-tech lab. He didn't spend a lot of time in here and so took his time taking in every detail of the equipment while Nadia looked down at the coffee that was cradled in her palms. She wasn't sure what to say to him.

'So, have you guys found anything useful in the data?' Steve asked, the question popping into his head and out of his mouth before he could stop it. Nadia blinked up at him, surprised, but happy to have an opening.

'Uh, yeah. Yeah, we've found loads of stuff.' She looked back at her computer and brought up the things that she had been looking through for the last few hours. Steve shifted closer and peered over her shoulder. 'Shipment schedules of weapons, receipts from frequent dealers, blueprints of plans for further enhancement of weapons using the Chitauri technology. Not to mention I'm combing through piles of experimental reports, lab results and personal files on everyone HYDRA has experimented on. We've only scratched the surface of this stuff and we've been looking through it all for a week.'

'Oh, um, good. That's good to hear.' He said, stepping away from her again, removing one of his hands from his pockets and rubbing the back of his neck. _He always does that when he gets nervous,_ Nadia observed.

She watched him with curious eyes as he sighed heavily and turned away from her and began pacing. Nadia waited for him to say something, feeling on edge. She had missed him, greatly, the last week. She missed being around him, seeing those secret little smiles that were full of cheekiness that were reserved just for her. She missed waking up in the morning and seeing him, talking about what they had seen on the news and debating different topics that they would never agree on. Nadia felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she had to press her lips together to stop them from spilling over as she looked at him.

Steve seemed to be chewing on his words before he said them. For a long time, she watched him and waited for him to speak. Finally, he did.

'I hate this.'

Nadia frowned. 'Pardon?'

Steve stopped pacing in front of her desk. 'I don't like this distance, this awkwardness between us. I _miss_ you. This whole thing has made me realise how badly I've been communicating with you about our relationship. I meant what I said when we talked about what I imagine for our future. I want the house with the big yard, a baseball team of kids and I want to marry you one day. I want all of that with you. I realised that I never told you any of this because I thought it was obvious.' Steve shrugged helplessly. 'I thought you knew that I had to sort things out with HYDRA and Bucky before I can even think about my own happiness, but not if it means losing you. Sometimes I forget that you can't actually read my mind, no matter how well you know me. I should have talked to you. I understand why you didn't tell me about the tests, and I'm sorry for arguing with you about it. I'm sorry about all of it.'

Nadia stared at him, absorbing his words. His blue eyes were looking at her imploringly, and she was reminded of a puppy. Her anger melted away at the sincerity in his face and she realised she wanted to be done with this fight, to move on. After a moment, she sighed, standing up to face him, and took his hands in both of hers.

'I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said what I did about Peggy – that wasn't fair. I also shouldn't have kept my suspicions about my…_condition_ to myself. I guess I just got scared that if the tests did turn out to be positive, you would run for the hills.'

Steve looked horrified. 'Nadia, I wouldn't leave you alone like that.'

'I know that now.' She conceded gently, squeezing his hands.

'I didn't know you felt that way about Peggy.' Steve said, his frown deepening.

Nadia shifted her feet nervously. 'I adore Peggy. I think she's a wonderful woman, but I can't help but compare the two of us. She was your first love and you were taken away from her. Sometimes I wonder…'

'It's not a competition doll.' He said quickly, 'And if it were, you would win.'

'You're not just saying that, right?' Nadia's voice was small as her heart pounded in her chest.

'Of course not.' Steve cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, eye-to-eye. 'It's true, I loved Peggy. But we never even went on a date. You and I have so much more than that.'

'Because we live together?' Nadia guessed, knowing that growing up, only married couples lived together. Steve brushed some loose strands of hair from her forehead and tucked them behind her ear tenderly.

'Yes, we live together, but we were also friends first. We have inside jokes, intimacy, chemistry. We have a lot of history that got us to where we are now. Peggy was my first love. _You_ are the love of my life.'

Nadia's eyes shone. She shifted her feet and then smiled slyly. 'So, a baseball team of kids huh?'

Steve chuckled, hands running up and down her arms. 'Bucky had a big family growing up. He had three sisters, lots of aunts and uncles, even grandparents, and they were all so happy. It was always just me and my mom and sometimes it was lonely. I've always wanted a big family.'

'Our family is big already, Steve,' Nadia reminded him, her hands sliding up to rest on his chest. 'We have Tony, Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Thor. Not to mention we have Sam now, and Josef. Sometimes there are bonds stronger than blood, and I feel that with this team.'

'So do I.'

'Good, because I'm telling you right now, I've seen childbirth, I've helped deliver babies. If you think I'm doing that a dozen times you have another thing coming.' Nadia was giggling by the end of her statement, only half serious. The thought of children with Steve had her feeling all jittery and warm inside.

'Yes ma'am.' Steve grinned.

They stood silent for a moment, just looking at each other and relieved that their fight was behind them. Nadia let out a slow breath, looking up at her boyfriend. 'Can…can we just promise each other to talk about things from now on? No more assumptions. Just honesty.'

'I can definitely promise you that.' Steve said, a smile dancing across his lips. Nadia wound her arms around Steve's neck, tilting her head up to look at him.

'I love you too, you know.' She said. 'I didn't say it before.'

'You're saying it now.'

Steve didn't waste another breath talking. He pulled her face up to meet his and they kissed, mouths moving in a practised dance they had perfected long ago. Nadia's arms tightened around Steve's neck, her fingers threading into his hair. Steve's hold on her face fell as he slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Nadia was standing on the tips of her toes as she leaned up to kiss him, using his broad shoulders as a ledge to hang on to. She lost her balance however when Steve's tongue brushed against hers and she fell backwards against the desk, putting out a hand to break her fall.

They broke apart, both panting and grinning like fools, their foreheads pressed together. In a quick and fluid movement, Steve hooked his hands under Nadia's thighs and lifted her to sit on the desk. She laughed at the sudden movement, but the giggles died in her throat when Steve's lips reconnected with hers. She let out a small moan when his tongue slipped into her mouth and Nadia's mind went blank. They hadn't been around each other in a week, and it was like all that tension was manifesting itself in passion.

Steve broke the connection and started placing hot, open-mouthed kisses against Nadia's jawline and neck, his teeth latching onto her pulse point and making her gasp. She loved it when he did that. His mouth on her neck never failed to make her hot all over. He went up and down twice before latching onto her earlobe and nipping. Nadia moaned again, louder this time, and she clenched her thighs at the desire that coiled low in her belly.

Her hands did not remain idle, her nails trailing down his back and up his front, slipping deftly under the thin shirt he wore. Nadia felt him shiver when she traced the shape of his muscles with her fingertips with barely-there touches. The brilliant thing about Steve being an enhanced super-soldier was that he felt everything more intensely, including desire. Nadia had figured out long ago that the light, teasing little touches got the best reactions out of him, and now was no exception.

The room got hotter and Nadia felt her mind growing fuzzy. They were in the lab, where anyone could walk in and see them making out on the desk, but instead of feeling embarrassed at the thought, it only exhilarated her.

'Steve,' she mumbled, trying to pull away from his addictive touch. He ignored her, pressing another kiss to her lips. Sighing at the sumptuous feeling, Nadia's legs wrapped around Steve's hips instinctively and she heard him groan deep in his chest.

She tried again. 'Steve,' she said, pulling away with a rough gasp. Her voice was strained. 'We shouldn't do this here. Tony would kill us if he caught us.'

'Why does that make me want to do it even more?' Steve replied boldly. She swatted at his chest and he backed off with a laugh. Nadia slid herself off the table and took Steve's offered hand. Together they walked calmly through the living area and towards the elevator, punching in the code for their apartment. They were silent, the air thick with sexual energy as they rode down to their apartment. Nadia didn't even dare glace at her boyfriend, afraid that if she did, she would jump him right there in the elevator.

After what was an agonisingly slow elevator ride, the couple entered their apartment. They waited for the elevator to move again and the door to completely close behind them before they pounced on each other. Steve stepped towards Nadia in the same moment that she launched herself at him. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her hands gripped his face as her lips sought out his in a passionate kiss. Steve, a little shocked at her boldness, stumbled a few steps forward as he adjusted to her weight against him. It proved lucky that they were near the door, as he was able to use it to brace himself against.

Nadia didn't even feel the hard door pressing against her back – all she was focussed on was the man in front of her. She could feel every inch of him pressed up against her, from his thighs to his hips and chest, to the strong arms that were wrapped around her. He had gotten her all hot and bothered before in the lab, and she was determined to exact revenge. She broke their feverish kiss and latched onto his neck, nibbling on the spot that always made him melt and grinding her hips against his.

'Shit.' Steve swore under his breath. Nadia grinned against his skin, hooking her hands under his shirt and pulling it up. He hurried to help her, shucking the offending garment to the side and Nadia's hands went to work tracing over every inch of exposed skin. Nadia gave Steve's lips a soft but fiery kiss, slipping her feet to the floor to stand in front of him. Her kisses trailed down both sides of his neck, over his collarbone and down his sternum. Steve leaned heavily against the door, his breath coming out in short pants as his head dropped forward. His fingers curled into the dark wood, nails digging in at the delicious feel of Nadia's lips on his body.

He was torn from his reverie when Nadia undid his belt, unbuttoned his pants and slid them down to his ankles in one quick movement. Looking up at him with an impish grin, she could see that Steve knew exactly what she was planning, and his eyes darkened. Before she could act on her plan, Steve had crouched down and grabbed Nadia by the upper arms. He pulled her up and pushed her back against the door. The forcefulness of the motion excited Nadia, the passion in his eyes evident.

Their lips crashed together in heady kisses as Steve divested Nadia of her hoodie, shirt and jeans, leaving the garments on the floor as they walked through the apartment, never separating from each other as they desperately tried to make it into the bedroom. Their touches and kisses were becoming more sensual, while their moans were getting louder. Nadia felt as if her skin was on fire, she craved Steve's touch more than anything in the world.

They managed to stumble past the living room and into the kitchen. Steve pushed Nadia up against the table, shoving chairs out of the way. She was enjoying this side of Steve. He had never been this take-charge before when it came to the physical side of their relationship. He was slipping into what Nadia referred to as his _Captain Mode, _and it was a huge turn on.

While Nadia had been thinking about the way her boyfriend was behaving, he got busy, unhooking her bra and throwing it over his shoulder. She cried out when Steve's mouth latched onto her breast, her fingers digging into his hair. He lowered her onto her back, pressing against the dining table. Nadia tugged on the strands of blond hair and felt Steve shiver against her. He retaliated by nipping at her nipple, making it go hard and stoking the fire in her belly hotter. He switched breasts as one of his hands went lower, traveling gently over her stomach, brushing against the inside of her thighs and then slipped inside her underwear.

'Fuck.' She said, arching her back off the table.

'I love it when you swear.' Steve murmured against her skin. 'So hot, doll.'

His fingers danced over her most sensitive parts before slipping inside her. He hissed at how wet she was, his groin tightening at the knowledge and he looked up to see the look on her face. He loved watching the expressions dance over her features in these moments, and she didn't disappoint. She looked like she was in ecstasy, quivering and moaning beneath him as he pleasured her.

She gasped, embarrassingly loudly, when Steve peeled her panties off her and tossed them out of sight. Steve's hands smoothed over her muscular thighs, spreading them a bit wider and dropping to his knees. The moment was so sensual, with her naked and lying on the kitchen table and Steve kneeling on the floor in between her legs. Nadia felt like screaming when Steve's tongue touched her, all the pent up emotion and sexual tension from the last week bubbling to the surface as Steve brought her to the edge of bliss. When his teeth skimmed over her clit, she broke, throwing her head back and gasping out her lover's name repeatedly, every limb shaking as she rode out her orgasm.

When rational thought returned, Nadia eased herself up off the table quickly and, seeing Steve still kneeling on the floor, looking up at her, she pushed him off balance with her foot. With a laugh at the unexpected move, Steve fell backwards against the carpet, grinning at his brazen girlfriend as she clambered on top of him. She kissed him then, tasting herself against his lips and tongue. She picked up where she left off earlier, planting open-mouthed kisses against his chest, abdomen and inner thighs. She could see the bulge in his underwear, and she carefully slipped them off him.

'Nadia…' Steve mumbled, and she looked up at him. Meeting his eyes, they shared a lust filled glance. 'Don't.'

Nadia pouted and she looked so adorable that Steve had to swallow a laugh. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it when she went down on him, it was just that he knew that if she did, he wouldn't last.

So, in the middle of the apartment, naked on the floor, Nadia climbed on top of Steve and settled down over his hips. His hands gripped her waist as he looked up at her, watching every movement she made as she reached between them and slowly sank down along his hardened length. They both let out hisses of pleasure at the feeling, Steve's head dropping back against the carpet and Nadia's fingers curling into Steve's abdomen. She didn't give him a chance to adjust though, starting to move her hips up and down.

Steve swore again as she set a gruelling pace, her head tilted back, and her eyes closed as she focussed on feeling. She could hear Steve's breath in the still room, her own just as laboured and loud. As she moved, the desire in her built up again, and she felt the desperation to get that release again. She moved her hips a little harder and Steve swore again.

'Hey!' she yelped.

Steve had hooked an arm around her waist, and rolled her onto her back, pinning her beneath him. Startled by the sudden move, but stunned into silence when Steve kissed her, Nadia couldn't help but love this man.

He started moving inside her again, his hips drawing back and slamming back in, too far gone to think about being gentle. Nadia cried out after every movement, the intensity of his thrusts thrilling her. They had made love before, had had rough, passionate sex, but this felt different, like something else entirely.

Digging her nails into his back and hitching her legs higher around Steve's hips, Nadia urged Steve to go harder, faster, and gratified when he did. Their bodies were covered in a thin sheen of sweat now, the room getting hot. Steve adjusted his angle, lifting Nadia's knees a little higher and when he slammed back in that time, Nadia's eyes rolled back a little as he hit that perfect spot inside her.

'Fucking hell, Steve.' She muttered before biting her lip.

'Nadia,' he said, breathing laboured. He drove into her again, reaching between them to find that little nub at the apex of her thighs at the same time his teeth scraped over her earlobe.

Nadia's mouth dropped open in a perfect 'O' and she came. He felt her constrict impossibly tight around him and her legs clenched over his hips, crushing her to him. He pushed into her a few more times, releasing himself when she dragged her nails down his back roughly.

Collapsing forward, Steve held himself up on shaking arms, trying to catch his breath. Beneath him, Nadia's chest heaved like she had just run a marathon, every nerve in her body singing with sensation. She smiled when she felt Steve press gentle kisses along her cheek towards her mouth, and she turned her head to meet him. They shared a slow, soft kiss.

Nadia nudged Steve's nose with her own. 'If this is how we make up, we should fight more often.'

Steve laughed at her, blue eyes dancing with humour. 'Can we not just do this for fun?'

Nadia lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug, her smile growing. 'I guess.'


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N - Hello lovely people. I hope you're all staying safe in this difficult time. I just wanted to let you know that I will be submitting weekly updates from here on as I've written a fair bit already. Updates will be on Mondays, AEST. Please leave reviews, darlings, as they mean so much to me. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Six

With Nadia and Steve's relationship back on track, things went back to normal around the Avengers Tower. Well, as normal as things could ever be with seven enhanced individuals living under one roof. Which is why Natasha and Nadia decided to escape from Tony and Clint's bickering after Clint broke another prototype.

They were walking down fifth avenue, the crisp autumn air catching their hair and making them pull their jackets closer around them. They had already been out to lunch, gotten manicures and were making their way into Sak's. It wasn't often that the two friends could hang out like that and they were savouring the experience.

'I cannot believe how much these things cost.' Nadia commented, eyeing the expensive pumps on display with the famous red soles. Louboutin shoes looked gorgeous and were undoubtedly well-made, but even when she was on a doctor's salary, she couldn't justify the price.

Natasha merely shrugged, picking up a pair and inspecting them with a critical eye. 'It's not like it's your money.' She reminded Nadia.

'Yes, how exactly did you convince Tony to hand over his credit card?'

'I didn't.' Natasha smirked. She put the shoe back and turned towards Nadia, who had crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

'You stole his credit card?' Nadia wasn't sure why she was surprised. Natasha was way more mischievous than most gave her credit for. She was always pulling pranks around the tower – they were usually harmless, but well thought out and hilarious. Nadia knew that she was more than capable of swiping Tony's credit card without him even knowing it.

'I don't think there's any amount of money we could spend that would impact on Tony's wealth.' Natasha pointed out, picking up another pair of shoes. Nadia pursed her lips, unsure about how to feel about Natasha stealing.

'Things seem better with you and Steve.' Natasha stated, her green eyes twinkling when Nadia met her gaze. 'You guys make up?'

Nadia couldn't stop the furious blush that lit up her cheeks as she thought about how after she and Steve were done with their tumble on the floor of their living room, they then stayed up well into the night, making up for lost time.

'You could say that.' Nadia said, avoiding looking at her friend in the face. Natasha was now wearing a wide smirk, watching as Nadia's cheeks flamed and her eyes glimmered.

'Quite the reunion, it would seem, if that blush is anything to go by.' Natasha noted and Nadia rolled her eyes.

'I am not giving you details.' She said and Natasha held up her hands defensively.

'I wasn't asking. I am, however, living vicariously through you, so you have to give me something.' Her smirk and grown to a full-blown grin, and Nadia couldn't help but think how gorgeous her friend really was when she smiled.

Nadia moved a bit closer to her friend and bit her lip, memories flashing in her mind of all the wonderful, delicious things she and Steve had gotten up to. Under the ruse of inspecting a fairly atrocious looking scarf, she took a step closer to Natasha.

'We didn't even make it to the bedroom, and that's all I'm saying!' Nadia whispered, looking around to make sure nobody overheard and blushing a little more when Natasha started chuckling.

'Oh my.' She said, cocking her hip out. 'How far did you get?'

'The floor in the kitchen.'

'I'm never going to be able to eat at your place again.' Natasha said, leading them out of the store and onto the street again. The wind hit them with full force, whipping their hair around their faces.

'You're one to talk, Nat. I've noticed that you and Bruce have been spending some time together. Are there surfaces in the lab I should stay away from?' Nadia teased, watching the redhead's face for any tell-tale signs. True to form, the Black Widow gave nothing away.

'I don't know what you mean.'

'Oh, so those long hours you two have been holed up in the lab, the whispered conversations and covert glances? Those are…what? Nothing?'

'We're working on something.' Natasha admitted. 'I'm helping him with his control over the Hulk.'

Nadia's eyebrows rose. 'Really?'

'He doesn't want the team to know yet, not until we've got something concrete worked out, but so far we're making progress.' Natasha's lips lifted a little at the sides, the tiniest of smiles.

Nadia put her arm around Natasha's shoulders and squeezed a little. 'That's great, Nat. I know that Bruce has struggled for a long time with this, and if you're helping him through, I think that's awesome.'

'There's nothing going on, Nadia.'

'Okay.'

'I mean it.'

'I believe you.' But Nadia's too-innocent expression gave away her disbelief of her friend.

Natasha just rolled her eyes and Nadia let her arm drop. They ducked into another store, happy to be out of the wind. They started strolling around, casually browsing the clothes on display and picking out a few pieces to try on as they went.

'How's the datamining of HYDRA's files going?' Natasha asked after a while. Nadia and Tony had been devoutly dedicated to going through all the information that they had been able to seize in the raid.

Nadia sighed, dropping the pair of jeans she had been looking at. 'It's been a bit of a nightmare to be honest. Everything is either encrypted or redacted, which makes piecing together information difficult. Tony has had more luck with the weapons side of things, the records are all relatively new and well kept, and he was able to eventually decrypt the codes. He's learned a lot of useful information, mostly weapons shipments and payments, but it might help us to find other HYDRA bases.'

Natasha nodded. 'What about the human experimentation?'

Nadia was silent for a moment as she thought about the horrors that she had read about. There were thousands of files on the victims of HYDRA. People who had been kidnapped or volunteered, who were then subjected to appalling procedures. The images of the bodies, the people, were forever burned into Nadia's brain. Some of the files were so gruesome, she had vomited. She had seen a lot, both as a doctor and as an Avenger, but the things that HYDRA had done to those people were evil.

'Some of the files are redacted and confidential, but most I was able to read. It was…I think I'm going to have nightmares for a while, Nat.' Nadia said softly. Natasha's intense gaze fixed on her, taking in every word. 'They were researching torture methods, mind control, memory recalibration, human enhancement and even biological weapons. I found records that go back almost seventy years, all the way back to the second world war. Some of them were conducted by Arnim Zola himself.'

'Anything on Barnes?' Natasha asked and question that hung tense in the air.

'Some. Most of it is memory recalibration and training. They don't refer to him by a name, they just call him "_The Asset."_' Nadia's disgust was evident. 'I've shown Steve everything I've found, but there's still so much to read.'

'I'm almost afraid to ask,' Natasha began, coming closer. 'But did you find anything regarding your enhancements?'

Nadia shook her head.

'Maybe it's better you don't know. Believe me, I wish I could forget all the things that I went through growing up.' Natasha mumbled, moving towards the dressing room with clothes draped over her arm. Nadia followed.

'You never talk about it. The Red Room.' Nadia said, although it sounded more like a question.

'They aren't pleasant memories.'

Nadia smiled wryly as she closed the door to her changing booth. 'I guess we both had shitty childhoods.'

There was silence from Natasha, the only sound that passed between them was the rusting of clothes and the smooth glide of zippers.

'They didn't just train us.' Natasha said quietly, so that only Nadia could hear. 'They would brainwash us. Inject us with hallucinogenic drugs and then pick our minds apart, putting back the pieces that they wanted. They made us compete against each other, kill each other to prove that we weren't weak, that we wouldn't form attachments or hesitate to follow orders. We were trained to infiltrate, assassinate, but not to feel. Feeling was forbidden. Madam B used to say, "_Only the breakable ones will break. You are made of marble."_ I can still see her face sometimes in my dreams. I wish I'd been the one to kill her.'

Nadia felt her chest tighten with every word that Natasha spoke. It would have been better if her voice was full of hatred, or despair, but it wasn't. It was matter-of-fact, as though she was talking about somebody else. Nadia's childhood and been full of neglect and loneliness, but Natasha's had been hell.

'I remember every single foster home I lived in.' Nadia revealed, a tinge of bitterness in her voice. 'I think the longest I was in one was six months. They passed me around like a football, either because my powers scared them, or I wasn't worth keeping. Some had kids of their own and didn't want to care for a child they saw as a burden.'

'How did you survive?'

'I didn't have friends, or a family to speak of, but I was smart. I loved learning. So, I devoted myself to my studies, drinking in every piece of knowledge I possibly could. My teachers noticed my potential, thank god, and helped me to excel. I would camp out at the library on weekends or catch the bus to the local college and attend lectures. I focussed on getting out alive, just to spite every person who kicked me down.'

'Do you miss it?' Natasha asked, her voice curious. 'Medicine.'

'More than I can say.' Even Nadia could hear the wistfulness in her voice. 'I adored helping people, being of use. Being able to save a life…the rush is incredible. I felt like I was contributing to the world in a worthwhile way, that _I_ was worthwhile.'

'You ever regret it?'

'What?'

'Going after Steve,' Natasha clarified, 'It cost you your career.'

Nadia paused, considering with pursed lips.

'I regret that saving his life cost me my medical license, but I am still a doctor. I can't practise, but I can still help people. That's all I've ever wanted.' Nadia chose her words carefully, her fingers picking at the shirt in her hands. 'I don't think I could ever regret going after Steve the way I did. It's true, I sacrificed a lot to get him back, made some decisions that keep me awake at night, but he's alive, and that's all that matters to me.'

Nadia opened the door to her dressing room and leaned her hip against the doorframe, waiting for Natasha to emerge. She fiddled with the price tag on the jacket she planned to purchase, her mind racing.

'Besides,' she added, 'With the hunt for HYDRA and spending time with Tony in the lab and the workshop, I don't have a lot of spare time to consider what I lost. I try to focus on what I've gained instead.' She grinned, 'It's less depressing that way.'

Natasha's door opened and she met Nadia's grin with one of her own. 'True.'

They made their way to the counter, where a woman wearing pink lipstick that was perhaps a few shades too bright for her skin tone greeted them with a tight smile. She scanned their items and when Natasha handed over Tony's black credit card, the saleswoman's eyes widened. She wrapped their items in tissue paper and then packed them into two separate bags before handing them over. She wished them a good day and with their purchases, Nadia and Natasha left.

'How is that going, by the way?' Natasha picked up their conversation where they left off now that there weren't any eavesdroppers nearby. 'I'm surprised you haven't killed Tony after all the time you've spent with him.'

Nadia laughed. 'He's a difficult man sometimes, but I actually enjoy the time we've spent together. He's very intelligent, and he's not afraid of a challenge. He's been able to explain mechanics and engineering in a way that I not only understand, but also appreciate. The human body isn't that different from machines, really.'

Natasha raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her. 'So you haven't wanted to strangle him? At all?'

'I didn't say that.'

The two friends shared a laugh. Nadia looked over at Natasha quickly, her smile still wide. The spy didn't miss the look.

'What?' she asked softly.

'It's just,' Nadia began. 'I'm glad we did this. I don't have any female friends aside from you, and it's nice to get away from the boys and talk. _Really_ talk.'

Natasha's face softened immeasurably. 'Me too.' She replied, 'Most women aren't too eager to spend time with the Black Widow.'

'You're more than that, Nat.' Nadia said strongly, brooking no room for argument. To prove her point, she slung her free arm through Natasha's, so the two women walked arm in arm down the sidewalk.

Nadia wasn't aware, but with Nadia's expression of sisterhood and friendship, Natasha's heart had lifted, and she felt lighter than she had in years.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Seven

Nadia sat in Tony's workshop, her bare feet on the table and crossed at the ankles. Her glasses were perched on her nose, a magazine in her hands while Tony worked on a suit, sitting on the floor. He was sitting with his legs spread on either side of the suit, his face shielded behind a welding mask as he worked. Music blasted throughout the workshop, metal and rock and roll that matched Tony's chaotic personality so well.

'Can you hand me the…the thingy with the…' Tony gestured vaguely behind him. Nadia, used to his babbling while in work mode, handed him the precision tool he needed without looking up from her page. Tony's brain would sometimes work so quickly, words couldn't express his thought process accurately. Nadia got the same way sometimes and she often had to remind herself that not everyone around her understood her medical babble.

He murmured a thanks, turning back to his work. He found he liked having the good doctor around. She was smart enough to keep up with him, asked astute questions and was a fast learner. Her presence was also calming, like a balm for his tumultuous mind. She was unlike Barton and Romanoff, who carried their secrets around like the weapons they wielded, and she wasn't nauseatingly self-righteous and brooding like Rogers. He got along best with Banner, because they were both men of science, but then again, so was Nadia. The only difference being that hers was medical science rather than engineering. He found that he enjoyed ruffling Nadia's feathers – their banter was easy and comfortable. He thought that if he'd ever had a sister, she's be like Nadia. She was determined and stubborn at the best of times, but she was also uncommonly kind and selfless, which reminded Tony of his mother.

'Whatcha reading?' Tony asked, glancing at the magazine in Nadia's hands.

'Scientific journal.' Nadia replied shortly, her brow furrowing in concentration as she turned the page. 'A scientist in South Korea has written a paper on her work with genetics. She developed technology that she claims is able to regenerate skin cells.'

'Which scientist?'

'Doctor Helen Cho.' Nadia smiled. 'It's really quite remarkable.'

Tony's curiosity piqued. 'How does it work?'

'She's built a machine called the Regeneration Cradle. It can heal wounds by grafting a simulacrum of organic tissue to the patient and having it bond to the patient's cells. It literally creates living tissue.' Nadia explained, reading from the information in front of her.

'She's perfected the process?'

'Enough that she's trademarked the process and is looking for funding to roll out multiple cradles to select hospitals to trial how effectively they can be used.' Nadia lowered the magazine, a thoughtful look on her face. 'If this technology can really do what she says, then the applications could be endless. Burn victims wouldn't have to suffer through multiple skin grafts, amputees could regrow lost limbs, hell, even organ donation could be perfected.'

'It could create a perfect match for the recipient because it would be made from the patients own DNA.' Tony nodded, following Nadia's train of thought.

'Exactly.'

'Sounds a bit Frankenstein-ish to me.' Tony remarked, flipping the welding mask back down over his face.

'Says the man who used to have an arc reactor in his chest.' Nadia retorted. Tony inclined his head at her point.

There was a soft knock at the door and Nadia looked over. Tony didn't even stop what he was doing as Bruce walked in, looking a little sheepish. He was wearing a white lab coat and his glasses sat crookedly on his face.

'Hey, Nadia, can I borrow you for a moment? There's something I'd like for you to look over.' Bruce asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

'Sure.' Nadia replied, swinging her legs off the table and getting to her feet. She put the journal on the chair in which she had been sitting and stretched. She turned to Tony. 'Think you can manage not to blow anything up while I'm gone?'

'I _can_ work unsupervised I'll have you know.' He said drily.

'Not according to Pepper, you can't.' Nadia snorted in reply, a joking grin on her face. She left the lab with Bruce, the two of them talking about some of the data they were working through from the HYDRA raid, leaving Tony alone.

Once their voices had faded, he looked up from his work, switching the torch off and sat in contemplation. His forehead furrowed as he considered, before he reached over and grabbed the journal that Nadia had been reading. He flipped to the article she had been talking about and began to read, head tilting to the side as he did.

'JARVIS?' Tony asked after twenty minutes of sitting in the same spot, too engrossed in his reading to move.

'_Sir?' _

'Do me a favour, get in touch with someone who can connect me with a Doctor Helen Cho.' Tony said, flipping the journal closed as the spoke, staring at the cover. 'I have a proposition for her.'

'_Is this business or pleasure, sir?' _

Tony smirked.

XX

Nadia peered into the microscope, her grey eyes squinting in concentration. She absentmindedly brushed her hair away and reminded herself to get a haircut, as it was getting too long. Eventually she looked up from the slide, turning to Bruce and sighing.

'I don't see anything.' She admitted with a rueful smile.

He sighed as well. 'I didn't either, but I wanted to check. I guess it's back to the drawing board.'

'I didn't know you were still searching for a cure for your…condition.'

Bruce's jaw jumped, eyes saddening. 'While I've accepted that the Other Guy is a part of me, I don't see why he has to stay that way. I don't want to live like this forever, cut off from human contact.'

Nadia tilted her head to the side, examining him. She stood from her chair, tucking her hands into the pockets of her own lab coat and taking a few steps towards him.

'I can't imagine how lonely it's been for you, Bruce.' She said softly. Nadia wouldn't insult her friend by implying that she had any idea what he'd been through in the past. He hardly spoke about his experiences, the circumstances that lead to his transformation. She wondered if he did it out of self-preservation, or if he did it in the hopes that he would be able to one day forget it all happened in the first place.

He shrugged. 'It could have been worse.'

Nadia leaned her hip against the table. 'Would you…' she frowned, hesitating before she continued. 'Would you like to talk about it?'

Bruce raised his eyebrows at her. 'I didn't realise you were a psychiatrist as well as an MD.' He replied wryly. She cracked a smile and jerked her head to the small couch that sat in the corner of the lab. They both made their way over to it and sat down.

'I'm not.' She answered, 'But I'd like to think that you could talk to me as a friend.'

Bruce shot her a grateful look, eyes shining a little. 'Thank you,' he said, rubbing his hands together.

'But?' Nadia prodded.

'But I don't want to burden you with my shit. You have enough to deal with on your own.'

'We all have baggage.' Nadia frowned, remembering something that Sam had once said to her. 'But we have a say in how we carry it, and sometimes, letting others help us to bear the weight can be the best thing for us.'

'You've been talking to Sam.' Bruce deduced.

'He's full of good advice – he's like a fortune cookie.' Nadia grinned and Bruce laughed. After a few moments of contemplation, he nodded.

'Thank you, Nadia. But…'

She reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. 'It's alright. I understand. If you need me, I'm here.'

He shot her a thankful smile. 'Besides, my control is getting better. Nat has been helping.'

Nadia couldn't help but feel a little self-satisfied – she had wondered if Bruce would bring up Natasha. She chose her words carefully, trying for a blasé, casual tone. 'Nat mentioned you two were working on something.'

'We've been testing out a few things but haven't actually worked up the nerve to try it out on the Other Guy.' Bruce admitted. 'She's been very nice about it all.'

'You want to take your time, make sure you've covered your bases.' Nadia nodded.

'Exactly.'

'Spending time together is just a bonus.'

'Yes, right…hey wait, now.' Bruce got to his feet, looking nervous suddenly. Nadia, however, had a wicked gleam in her eye, having caught the scientist out. She cocked her head to the side, assuming an innocent expression. 'Natasha and I are just…just colleagues, friends even. But there's nothing going on.'

'Oh, really?' Nadia raised an eyebrow.

'Yes, really. She's just helping me with control so that I can be more effective in the field.' He said, trying not to stammer. Nadia got to her feet as well, nodding along as if agreeing to Bruce's outrageous protests.

'So, those little looks between the two of you?' She inquired, pointing a finger at his chest. 'Or the long hours locked up in the lab? Let's not forget the subtle touches you two manage to pull when you think nobody is looking.'

Nadia had been watching them for weeks, dancing around each other. It's true, she had spoken to Natasha not two days ago on their shopping trip about this very subject matter. Knowing she wouldn't get any more information from the spy, Nadia sought to see how much prodding and poking she could get away with when it came to Bruce. He was proving to be much more cooperative.

'I…don't know what you're talking about.' Bruce said, pouting his lips in what he probably hoped was an innocent, believable expression. He turned from Nadia quickly, walking back over to the tables, picking up his notes and shuffling through them.

'Sure, you don't.' Nadia said, shrugging out of her lab coat and walking over to the desk next to Bruce. He didn't look up at her as she slung the coat over the back of the chair. She waited a moment, but he astutely avoided her gaze. 'I'm not saying this is a bad thing, Bruce. You and Nat both deserve happiness.'

He paused for a fraction of a second, swallowing thickly. Nadia watched his throat bob and, satisfied that she'd given him something to think about, turned to leave. She was halfway down the staircase when she ran into Tony, who had a very pleased expression on his face. Immediately, Nadia was worried, accustomed to that look getting them all into trouble.

'What did you do now?' Nadia asked warily, mentally preparing herself. Tony raised his eyebrows at her.

'Why do you assume the worst?'

'Because it's you?' She replied tartly. Tony considered.

'Fair point. But you will be pleased to know that I am not currently in the mood for world domination or any such dastardly fun.' He explained, leading her away from the lab and into the common area. He walked over to the bar, slipping behind it. Nadia watched on with suspicious eyes as he reached for a glass bottle filled with amber liquid.

'It's a little early for scotch, don't you think?'

'It's nearly dark out, Doc. Live a little.' Tony said, pouring her one too. 'Besides, you'll want this by the time I'm done.'

'Oh god I knew it.' Nadia groaned, putting her elbows on the bar and resting her head in her hands. 'What mess have you made now, Stark?'

'First of all, I'm offended by the assumption. Second, you only call me by my last name when you're either extremely tired or pissed. Third, this will be a celebratory drink.'

Nadia dropped her hands and looked up at him, where he was still smirking at her. She slouched in her seat. 'For gods sake get on with it.' she sighed.

'Well, after you ditched me in the workshop to spend time with our resident mad scientist, I had a little look through that medical journal you left behind. I thought that the material was interesting so I have it a glance over myself.'

'So?'

'_So_,' Tony rolled his eyes. 'I had JARVIS reach out to Doctor Helen Cho's representative to pass along a message that I'm interested in funding her research and that I, along with my colleagues – meaning you – would like to meet with her.'

Nadia's jaw dropped open. 'Are you serious?'

'Always.' Tony quipped. 'Anyway, I heard back – finally – and she will be flying to New York on Friday to meet with us. I plan on having her as a contractor for the Avengers, funding for her research in return for her being on call in case any of the team get injured too seriously for you to handle on your own.'

Nadia could only gape at him. Tony merely clinked his glass of scotch against hers and took a small sip. Once her brain had caught up with what he was saying Nadia smiled widely, joy radiating in her chest at the prospect of working with such a pioneer in medical science.

'I can't believe you did that.' Nadia said, awed at his initiative. Again, Tony smirked at her. She shook her head in slight disbelief and then held up her glass to Tony's.

'To science.' She proposed a toast. Tony touched his glass to hers.

'To mad science.' Tony corrected, and Nadia giggled as she took a long sip of her scotch.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N - Two chapters in one day to make up for my late update. Please make sure to leave a review!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel.**

Chapter Eight

Nadia paced in Pepper's office, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. She had dressed up for the meeting with Doctor Cho, wanting to make a good impression. Her hair was twisted in an elegant chignon, a few stubborn strands falling around her face. For the first time in months she had put effort into her makeup, swiping on concealer, blush and mascara. She'd donned a charcoal grey pencil skirt, royal blue blouse and a matching grey blazer.

Tony sat reclining in the cream coloured sofa, dressed in a smart suit and shoes, a pair of blue sunglasses on his face despite the fact they were inside. He was lounging with his legs crossed, a smoothie in his free hand as he swiped through his phone. He was completely at ease in the stylish and grand office, while she paced, bored out of her mind with waiting.

Nadia had been looking forward to this meeting all week. When Tony had arranged a conference with Doctor Cho, she had felt truly excited about something for the first time in a long while. She had the opportunity to speak to someone who had a medical and engineering doctorate, who had invented something extraordinary. Nadia was beyond fascinated by the technology and the potential applications of the Regeneration Cradle. She had spent days going through the information packets that Doctor Cho's assistant sent over and the science was ingenious. She felt like a child at Christmas, buzzing with energy to the point that every time she walked past the crystals that sat on the coffee table they would rattle.

'Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy.' Tony droned, not looking up from his phone. Nadia sighed and came over to sit down on the couch with him.

'I'm just excited, that's all.' She explained, brushing a hand over her hair again. 'This is an amazing opportunity and I don't want to screw it up.'

'Pssh don't sweat it, kid. Pepper will be there to put out any fires you may start.'

Nadia raised an eyebrow at him. 'Is that meant to be a pun because of my powers or an insult that I may screw this up?'

Tony's lips twitched with the hint of a smile, but he said nothing. She rolled her eyes, leaning against the cushions on the couch with her lips pursed in a pout. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door opened, but it was only Bruce, shooting them a sheepish grin as he took a seat opposite them.

He had brushed his black hair, the silver streaks standing out in harsh comparison. He was wearing a suit that was a little too loose on him, but he seemed comfortable at least. Bruce smiled at her.

'How are you feeling?' he asked. Nadia crossed her legs and folded her arms in an effort to contain herself.

'Excited. Bored waiting. Nervous as hell. You?'

'I'm going okay.' he nodded with a smile, pulling out a notebook form his jacket and flipping it open. 'I wrote down some notes and questions I want to ask – '

'_Ugh_, you two are acting like this woman cured cancer or something. She's just another scientist, no different from us.' Tony interjected with a roll of his eyes.

'Yes, but this scientist has made a breakthrough is medical technology. I thought you, one of the greatest engineers in the world, would be interested in that kind of technology. Aren't you even a little excited?' Nadia smirked, watching Tony's face intently. He was good at hiding his thoughts but not as efficient as Natasha was, and so Nadia was able to see the curiosity that flitted across his face.

'I suppose. I wonder how she calibrates it for different tissue densities.'

'You're thinking scar tissue?' Bruce guessed, pushing his glasses back into place.

'If the cradle is capable of recreating living tissue, burn survivors could use it as a treatment option.'

Nadia frowned. 'I don't know if it creates nerve endings as well as skin tissue though.'

'I'll add it to the list.' Bruce grinned, grabbing his pen out and scribbling on his already crowded notebook.

'I think I read the notes package about six times since it was sent over.' Nadia said with a smile. 'I was driving Steve crazy because he didn't understand a word I was saying.'

'Where is Cap? I haven't seen him around.' Bruce asked.

'Probably looking in the mirror and practising a speech about freedom, truth and patriotism.' Tony droned sarcastically, his head finally rising from looking at his phone to look at Nadia with a dazzling smirk.

Nadia simply sighed, used to Tony's barbed comments about her boyfriend and decided to ignore him in favour of actually answering Bruce's question. 'He and Sam had something to do. They may have gotten a lead on our missing persons case. They should be back by tonight.'

'How is the hunt for our favourite snowflake going?' Tony asked curiously.

'Terribly, but that isn't all that surprising.' Nadia admitted. 'He's a former assassin. If he doesn't want to be found, then he won't be. We don't even know if he remembers who he was. He's free for the first time in seventy years – he's probably trying to figure out his place in this new world and sort through all the shit that HYDRA has put him through.'

'That won't stop Rogers.' Tony remarked. She nodded. They both knew Steve too well to expect anything else.

'No,' Nadia agreed with a sigh. 'It won't.'

'I suppose there's no point in telling him this.' Bruce suggested. Nadia couldn't help but laugh.

'Steve is the most stubborn man on this planet. Once he decides to do something, he does it.' She paused, her face falling into a frown. 'I think he needs to do this. He feels that he failed Barnes when he fell from that train, that if he'd just looked for Bucky none of this would have happened.'

'That's ridiculous.' Bruce said adamantly. 'The man fell from a train – any normal person would be dead. How was Steve supposed to know that Zola's experiments worked?'

Nadia shrugged helplessly. 'I've tried telling him that, but he won't listen.'

Tony pointed a finger at her. 'Stubborn.'

'Exactly.'

The door opened once again and as one, Nadia, Tony and Bruce got to their feet. Pepper entered first, looking lovely in an emerald green dress. She smiled at them all and Nadia smoothed down the fabric of her skirt. Another woman entered after. She had delicate features and pronounced cheekbones, her eyes a lovely shade of brown, like whiskey.

'Ah, yes. Doctor Cho, allow me to introduce Doctor Banner, Doctor Paolera, and Mr Stark.' Pepper said as the door closed behind them. They each stepped forward to shake hands with the Korean beauty who had entered.

'It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Cho.' Nadia said.

'Please, just Helen.' The other woman insisted. Nadia smiled at her and doctor returned it. Tony clapped his hands together, a maniacal grin on his face.

'Shall we get to it?'

XX

Sam and Steve had been sitting in the car for three hours, watching the entrance to the building for any sign of their target. The uncomfortable seat had long ago made Steve's ass go numb and his legs were cramping from having to sit in such a confined space for an extended period of time, but he remained where he was, focussed on the task at hand. His shield lay on the back seat, along with Sam's wings and an overnight bag. He dragged a hand over his face, his eyes twitching with fatigue. While they had only been in the car for a few hours, the two soldiers had spent the better part of the morning scoping out the area, finding the best routes for a quick getaway along with entries into the apartment building that would be the least suspicious.

'I don't think he's here, man.' Sam said quietly, his eyes not leaving the surrounding street where his eyes scanned every movement with a trained gaze. 'If he was, we'd have spotted him by now, I mean, the guy isn't exactly subtle.'

Steve let out a barely audible sigh, hating to agree. 'Either that or he spotted us and took off.'

'We're in a blacked-out car.' Sam reminded him.

'Would it stop you?'

Sam clucked his tongue in acknowledgement. 'Should we check it out ourselves then? He might not be here now, but he might have been. Could give us an idea of where he's going.'

Steve highly doubted that someone with Bucky's training would leave any evidence behind, but he agreed to the plan, hoping against hope they would find something.

With a grunt, Steve reached behind him and grabbed his shield before he opened the door and got out, relief flooding him as blood flowed back into his legs. He ignored the stiffness of his muscles and stowed the shield on his back. Sam followed, exiting the car himself and belting on two guns and knife to his thigh. Together, the two men jogged across the road.

'How'd you even hear about this place?' Steve asked. Sam had called the day before, telling him about a HYDRA safehouse he'd heard about while he was down at the VA and suggested it could be a place where Bucky could lay low for a while. Steve had jumped at the opportunity, organising to check it out. Either they would find Bucky hiding there and they could offer him help, or they would find HYDRA agents there and they would be arrested. The worst-case scenario was that the place would be empty.

'This guy, Harry, he has a daughter who's a total conspiracy nut. Ever since Romanoff released all of SHIELD's files onto the internet she's been going through it. She mentioned that she'd found a bunch of deeds to apartments and houses all over the world. Most of them have been emptied out by local authorities by now apparently but Harry thought this one might be of interest to me, so he did me a solid.'

'The people down at the VA know why you're looking into HYDRA?' Steve asked, pulling the door open and Sam stepped in first, scanning the lobby but it was fairly empty, only a few residents milling around with laundry baskets.

'Nah. Didn't see the point in broadcasting what we're doing.' Sam shrugged. He nodded to the stairwell and Steve headed for it, pulling the door open and starting to climb. He heard Sam behind him, their footsteps echoing on the concrete steps.

They made it up to the fourth floor and Sam unfastened one of his guns, holding it at the ready. With a look, Steve pulled the door open and Sam stepped out with Steve on his heels. The hallway was deserted, but they didn't drop their guard. Steve checked for security cameras or trip wires but found nothing. Uneasiness settled into his stomach and he pulled his shield off his back, slipping it onto his arm.

'What apartment number?' Steve asked.

'Six.'

They stalked silently down the hallway, their boots making no sound on the carpeted floor. Steve started to sweat, his heart beating so loudly in his chest he was sure that Sam could hear it. They came to apartment six and stood to either side of the door, the peephole unable to catch sight of them.

Steve gestured to himself first, then to Sam. The other man nodded, holding his gun to his chest. Taking a steady breath, Steve turned quickly and brought his leg up, kicking the door down so forcefully it flew across the room. Sam rushed in and Steve followed. They split up, with Sam going down the corridor and Steve making his way into the kitchen. The apartment was small, sparsely furnished and there was a fine layer of dust. The windows were boarded up with old newspapers.

'Clear!' Sam called.

'Clear!' Steve confirmed, eyes darting around. There was a small table and chair in the middle of the living room, a couch with what looked like blood stains on it and a first aid kit lying face down on the floor. He frowned at the stains, noting that they looked fresh. The dust had been disturbed in some areas, leaving impressions of boots on the floor.

'Someone was definitely here.' Steve said, picking up the first aid kit. He had lived with Nadia long enough to know that there were bandages missing, along with a suture kit and antibacterial cream. Someone had been hurt, badly, and had come here to clean up.

'Hey Steve!' Sam called, poking his head around the corner. 'Come see this.'

Steve dropped the kit on the table, a cloud of dust flying up as he did so. Wrinkling his nose, he followed Sam down the small corridor and into a bedroom. There was a rumpled mattress on the floor with a threadbare blanket and beside it, a great hole in the floor. The carpet had been cut away and the panels pulled up.

'Good place to hide a go bag.' Sam noted, raising his eyebrows.

'So, someone came here, injured and needing supplies. They patched themselves up, rested for a bit and then took the bag.'

'You reckon it was Barnes?' Sam asked, voice neutral.

'Could be. He was injured pretty badly. I dislocated his shoulder and he may have cut himself on the rebar of the helicarrier as it was falling apart.' Steve crouched next to the hole, looking inside it for anything that may have been left behind. His eye caught on something metallic near the back and he reached a hand in.

'Careful. There could be spiders.' Sam cautioned. Steve raised an eyebrow at his friend over his shoulder. He shrugged. 'They bite.' He added by way of explanation.

With a smirk, Steve reached back in and grabbed whatever it was he had seen and pulled it out. It was another bag, filled with guns, ammunition and few stacks of bills. Sam whistled.

'There's enough here for a small army.' Steve noted with distaste. It wasn't that he disliked guns, he had used them plenty of times. But he found modern weapons to be too easily used and not regulated well.

'There's a bit of cash there too, but that could have fallen out of the other bag. The other one probably had cash, ID's, maybe even car keys to a vehicle nearby.' Sam pondered.

'But no weapons.' Steve got to his feet, shooting Sam a meaningful look.

'Maybe the guy is tired of killing people. After seventy years I sure as hell would be. Besides, I've seen him in action. With that arm of his, he doesn't need this stuff.' Sam pointed at the bag.

'But where would he go?' Steve murmured, more to himself than Sam.

'Away. Anywhere HYDRA wasn't. He knows what would happen if they found him again. They'd put his head back in the blender and any free will he's gained would be taken away, again.'

Steve sighed, silently agreeing but also frustrated. He wished Bucky had sought him out, would let him help. But the stubborn jerk was too busy outrunning a Nazi-based intelligence organisation to do that.

Steve put his shield on his back and snatched up the bag. 'Let's go. This place isn't going to tell us anything else. We can drop these off at the local police station on the way back to the tower.'

Sam nodded and they filed out of the room. Sam picked up the door that Steve had kicked right off its hinges and leaned it against the wall. 'Did those files help at all? The ones Romanoff got for you?'

'It was mostly to do with his enhancements and where he was kept during cryo. Nothing that would help us find him now.' Steve said, his tone grim. 'Nadia was able to find some more information from the files that we got from that HYDRA raid. She's been helping me sort through and understand it all.'

They came to the elevator and Steve hit the call button just as his phone pinged in his pocket. With his free hand, he pulled it from his pocket and unlocked it. He smiled at the message.

_We got the contract! Bruce and I will be working with Doctor Cho and she will provide medical aid for the team. Hope you're staying safe x _

'Speak of the devil.' Steve muttered, handing the phone to Sam so he could read the message for himself. Sam chuckled, handing the phone back as the elevator arrived.

'She's an amazing woman.' Sam stated, stepping in and pressing the button for the lobby. 'Smart as a tack, kind, funny, and gorgeous to boot.'

'I'm a very lucky man.' Steve agreed, careful to keep his voice neutral.

Sam noticed the tone and smirked, crossing his arms and readying himself for some fun. 'Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?'

Steve hesitated. 'Not trouble, per se.'

'Oh, this just got interesting! Spill it, running man.' Sam grinned, thoroughly amused by the situation. Captain America has girl trouble?

'I don't really know how to go from here.' Steve admitted after a pause. Sam blinked, waiting. 'We discussed the future of our relationship and we both agreed on what we wanted going forward.'

'And that is?'

Steve shifted his feet. 'I want to ask her to marry me.'

Sam's mouth dropped open. The elevator door chimed as it slid open and Steve took this moment to escape, leaving Sam behind as he quickly strode away from the awkward conversation. Sam, however, was not to be deterred and quickly caught up to him again.

'Whoa, man! You can't just say that and walk away! This is…this is huge!'

'I know.'

Sam squinted at his friend. 'How long have you known?'

'Months. Years really.' Steve admitted. 'I wasn't sure whether she wanted the same thing until recently.'

'So, what's holding you back?'

Steve frowned and stopped walking. 'A number of things. Bucky, for one thing. HYDRA for another. The fact that neither of us have jobs or a place of our own. We don't know what the future holds and it seems a little irresponsible to try and start a family in amongst all this. I just want it to be perfect. I don't know how to be romantic, really, but she deserves something special.'

Sam spluttered, 'A family?!'

Steve allowed himself a small smile. 'Yeah.'

'Dude.' Sam shook his head. He planted his hands on his hips and looked around. Steve watched as Sam's mind raced, dark eyes dancing. Finally, Sam crossed his arms and faced Steve, a serious look in his eye.

'Look, man. There will never be a perfect moment. You can plan it all you like, but the only sure thing is here and now. You both lead dangerous lives, both have enemies. If you want my advice, don't waste another moment trying to make it perfect because to me, it seems like it already is. You love her, and she loves you. Go for it and start living your lives together now. Tomorrow is not a guarantee.'

Steve pondered his words and saw truth in them. Sam knew better than most just how quickly life can change. He had lost someone he cared about in much the same way that Steve had. Happiness is fleeting and has to be treasured.

'So, if it was you in my place…?' Steve asked.

'I'd have married that girl already.' Sam confirmed and then added for good measure, 'Before she could realise what a horrible mistake she'd made.'

Steve laughed. 'So, you're saying I'm being an idiot.'

'Pretty much. Go and get your girl, Cap. A woman like that won't wait around for you forever.'

Steve considered Sam's words the entire drive back to the tower. Sam's words resonated with him and he acknowledged the truth in them. He wanted a future with Nadia, he wanted everything they'd ever talked about right down to the white picket fence. But he still felt hesitant, unsure of himself. Steve could run into heavy enemy fire without a second thought, but when it came time to decide to propose, he couldn't seem to make up his mind. He wanted to marry her, but he wanted to do it when they could enjoy it without the threat of HYDRA looming over their heads. She deserved that.


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N. - Please remember to leave a review!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Nine

Steve had pondered Sam's words for over a week, filled with indecision and anxiety. He knew that feeling nervous was ridiculous; they had already spoken of marriage, Nadia had said that she wanted to marry him, so it wasn't as though rejection was a problem he had to worry about. Still, his unease kept him on edge… until he walked into the training room and saw Nadia sparring with Natasha. She was red-cheeked and sweaty, her hair flying in every direction. She moved with grace and strength, a large smile on her face. She'd spotted him standing in the doorway, no doubt staring with a dumbstruck expression, and she'd winked at him. She was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, and clarity had hit him like a brick. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Nadia. While he hadn't figured out where or how he would propose to her, he knew that it was an inevitability at this point. They lead a complicated lifestyle, but they made it work – there was no reason they couldn't do the same thing if they were married.

But first, he needed a ring.

His immediate thought was to use the one his mother had left him when she'd died, but that had been lost long ago. He'd looked for it when he'd first been pulled from the ice and was going through the things that were pulled from storage but suspected whoever packed up his personal belongings after he went missing had possessed sticky fingers. It was disappointing, not being able to give Nadia a family ring. He wholeheartedly believed that his mother would have adored Nadia – she had been a nurse where Nadia was a doctor. They were both kind, caring women with steel in their veins and spines that would not curl under any sort of threat or intimidation. He wished that they had been able to meet, and his heart hurt at the thought.

So, Steve resolved himself to buying a ring. He still had a little money put away, not much, but enough to get something nice for her. But he was a man and knew next to nothing about jewellery and went to the only person he knew who could possibly assist.

'I need your help.'

Natasha looked up from cleaning her guns with a raised eyebrow. 'Are you having another senior citizen moment, Rogers? What is it this time? Can't work the microwave? The TV remote? Don't tell me you've forgotten how to unlock your phone again.'

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and made a frustrated noise. 'That was one time, Romanoff.'

She snickered at his pained expression, putting her gun to the side and crossing one leg over the other. 'Embarrassment is a good colour on you.'

'Shut up. I need your help and you can't tell Nadia.' Steve looked imploringly at her, but Natasha's face didn't move as she watched him.

'Why?'

'Because a surprise usually entails some kind of secret.' Steve replied dryly. The spy got to her feet, green eyes watching every move that Steve made and she narrowed her eyes at him. He had nothing to be guilty of, he knew this, but he still shrank a little under her intimidating gaze.

'What do you need my help for?'

'Well…' Steve rubbed the back of his neck. 'You're a girl, and – '

'Good job. Was is the breasts or the feminine curves that gave me away?' Natasha drawled. He shot her a look.

'I meant, you have a better taste for these things that I do.' He explained. 'I want to get Nadia something and I want to make sure she likes it. You two are friends and I would like your opinion.'

Natasha's frown increased, but more from curiosity than suspicion. 'What exactly are you getting her?'

Steve cleared his throat and glanced around to make sure they were alone. 'A ring.'

'A ring?' Natasha repeated dryly. 'As in, _I love you and I was thinking of you _ring? Or a _Marry me_ ring?'

Steve smiled softly. 'The second one.'

Natasha's face broke into a wide smile. Steve blinked in astonishment, as the smile took her beauty from gorgeous to breathtaking. She was often so serious but when Natasha did smile it was dazzling.

'That's…that's wonderful Steve.' she said earnestly. 'Congratulations. You two are going to be so happy together.'

Steve blushed. 'Thanks Nat.'

'So, you need help picking out a ring? I thought you old people liked to hand down family rings.' She smirked. Steve's face fell and she realised her mistake. 'Oh, shit, Rogers I'm sorry. That was insensitive.'

'S'okay. Besides, I kinda like the idea of getting something new for her. One that's just hers.' He said, 'But I have no idea where to start.'

'You've come to the right person, Rogers. I once robbed a high-end jewellery store, so I know what to look for.' She said with a wicked grin as she turned to leave.

'You did what?' he gasped, following her.

She waved a dismissive hand. 'Relax, it was run by a corrupt businessman who had ties to the KGB. Stop being such a boy scout.'

'I am not a boy scout.' He pouted.

She snorted. 'So, you don't fold your socks and underwear when you put your laundry away? Or polish your shield after missions?'

'I'm going to kill Nadia.' he muttered, and Natasha barked a laugh. They arrived at the elevator and she pressed the button, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

'Any ideas on what kind of ring you want to get her?' Natasha asked as they waited. Steve shoved his hands in his pockets.

'I did a little googling, but there's just so much choice these days. Different metals, shapes, sizes. It's all a little overwhelming. I'm kind of going in blind.'

'You'll know it when you see it, I guess.' She shrugged. 'You thought about how you're going to pop the question?'

'I have no idea.' He admitted, 'There's so much pressure to do something grand and romantic, and I every time I start to think about planning it, I start to panic.'

'I don't think you need to worry about that stuff. Nadia isn't the kind of woman who needs or even wants huge romantic gestures. She'd probably prefer something more personal. You know her better than anyone, so you'll know when the time is right and what to do.'

Steve shot her a hesitant smile. 'If you say so.'

XX

Natasha considered herself a fairly patient person, but Steve Rogers was getting on her last nerve. They had been wandering around New York for the past three hours and they still hadn't found a ring for Nadia. They had started with the more well-known stores like Tiffany's and Harry Winston, but Steve had balked at the prices. The store managers had offered him a heavy discount, eager to have an Avenger wearing one of their rings, but Steve hadn't found one ring he liked in those stores.

So, they worked their way around the less prestigious retailers, Natasha doing her best to help Steve narrow in on a particular style he liked, but he kept changing his mind. She was ready to barge into the next store they saw, pick the first ring that caught her eye and demand that Steve use that one because she couldn't stand much more of this. She had been on stakeouts that lasted days and that was less boring and frustrating than this.

Nadia had better appreciate what she went through for her.

'Let's try in here.' Steve suggested, opening the shop door for Natasha and ushering her in. This place was more Steve's speed, she admitted. It was quaint and simple, with vintage light fixtures and soft jazz music playing over the speakers. The walls were painted in a neutral cream colour and the workers were wearing a red uniform as they served a small number of customers that milled about the store. Steve's face lit up as he looked around.

'Good afternoon. Can I help you find something?'

A pretty blonde girl who couldn't be more than nineteen came forward, smiling and looking between Steve and Natasha. Her uniform was a little too big for her and she was wearing heels that were so high they looked painful, but she still smiled at them. Natasha glanced at her nametag – Abigail.

'Yes, actually.' Natasha crossed her arms. 'We're looking for a ring.'

'Sure. Was it a dress ring, a gift?'

'An engagement ring.' Steve supplied, cheeks going a little pink but looking determined, nonetheless.

'Oh, congratulations!' Abigail gushed. 'Well, I'm not the expert on diamonds. Let me get you my manager Lucy. She'll be able to help you. If you could just take a seat over there, she won't be long.'

Abigail pointed them both towards a small desk with two leather chairs facing it. The desk was nestled in the corner, affording some privacy. Natasha leaned back, reclining in a relaxed fashion and watched Steve settle into the chair that was, frankly, much too small for him. He had to sit much further forward in order to be comfortable. The sight was comical, and Natasha had to work very hard not to laugh.

'Will you please just relax? I've seen you calmer surrounded by hostile HYDRA agents than in that chair.' Her lips twitched against her better judgement. Steve let out a sigh.

'I just want to get her the right one. If I have my way she'll be wearing it for the next sixty years or so and I want her to like it.' He said, running a hand through his hair.

'She will. Just chill, please. You're going to give me hives.' She said, unable to keep the teasing tone out of her voice. She saw his mouth twitch and felt a surge of satisfaction knowing that she had helped ease his anxiety.

'Thank you for waiting.' A middle-aged Asian woman with dimples and bright brown eyes sat down opposite them. She gave them a small smile and Natasha immediately liked her. 'I'm told you're looking for an engagement ring.'

'Yes ma'am.' Steve said, straightening up in his chair.

'I must say I'm surprised.' She said, looking between the two of them. 'I was under the impression that you were seeing Doctor Paolera, Captain Rogers. I didn't know you two were together.'

Smirking, Natasha looked over at Steve. He was bright red with embarrassment and she had to swallow down a laugh.

'We're not together.' He explained. Seeing an opportunity to make him blush even more, Natasha crossed her arms.

'There's no need to sound so insulted, Rogers.'

Confusion and panic flitted across his face. 'No, I didn't mean – '

'I mean, you would be lucky to get a woman like me.' She continued, having way too much fun watching him splutter to cover his blunder.

'I know that…' He said, with frown on his face and beginning to get frustrated. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in defeat. Glancing at Lucy, Natasha found the woman's gaze switching between the two, amusement clearly written across her face.

'Oh, unclench, Spangles, I'm only teasing.' Natasha eventually said, her voice still laced with mirth. He shot her a nasty look at the nickname and she chuckled. She turned to Lucy and gave a lazy shrug. 'I'm just here to make sure he doesn't pick something ridiculous.'

Steve shot her an irritated look, his face still pink with embarrassment. Lucy clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with amusement. 'I see,' she said, 'Well, we'd better get to it then. Now, tell me Captain, what were you looking for?'

Steve shifted nervously in his chair. 'I'm not exactly sure.'

Instead of looking annoyed like every other sales assistant had at Steve's answer, Lucy simply nodded. 'That's alright. How about we start with budget?'

'I can't do anything more than eight.' Steve frowned. He had hoped to find something at that price, as his and Nadia's saving accounts had taken a large hit over the past few months after the fall of SHIELD. This was all he could afford and still have a little left over in case of an emergency.

'I'm sure we can find something for you.' Lucy said amiably. 'Now, metals. Would you prefer platinum, white or yellow gold?'

'Didn't you say platinum is best?' Steve asked, looking towards Natasha. She nodded.

'More durable. If she's going to be doing her doctor thing and sticking her hands into bullet holes, she'll need something that's sturdy.' Steve agreed and Lucy left to gather some options. When they were alone, Steve leaned over.

'Why do you insist on embarrassing me whenever we're in public?' he asked in a low voice. Natasha smirked, thinking back to when they were on the run from SHIELD and she'd kissed him, to now when she was teasing him about buying a ring for his girlfriend. The answer was that he made it too easy and annoying him was just too much fun.

She decided not to answer him and Steve sighed, resuming his previous sitting position. Lucy returned soon after, carrying a small tray that had a dozen or so diamond rings nestled in the velvet. They both leaned forward to get a better look. Natasha had to admit that while this store wasn't as flashy or well known, they certainly made exquisite looking rings. She tried not to feel a pang of jealousy, knowing that she may never get to wear one of these herself.

'Now, these are all platinum bands. They range from just under a carat up to two carats. I had a feeling you don't want anything over the top.' Lucy explained, looking up at Steve.

'She's not a flashy person.' He concurred, 'She likes things that are simple and elegant. Things that are made well and catch the eye.'

'Okay, I can work with that.' Lucy said with an eager grin. She picked a few of the gaudier rings from the tray and set them aside. Lucy began to tell them about each of the rings, but Natasha's eye was drawn to one in particular and it seemed that Steve was of a like mind, because he reached over and plucked it gently from where it rested. Lucy's face softened.

'Beautiful choice. That one isn't as popular as the solitaires, but it's very elegant.' She said and Natasha couldn't agree more. It was a simple ring with a polished band and a single emerald cut diamond sitting on top. There were two smaller triangular diamonds on either side of the large stone. It wasn't a huge ring, but one couldn't call it small either.

Steve turned it over in his fingers, staring at it for a long time before he turned to Natasha. He raised an eyebrow at her. 'What do you think?'

'I think it's beautiful.' She admitted. 'I think it would suit Nadia really well.'

'It looks like the one my mother had. Hers was a lot smaller and not as nice, but it's very similar.' He murmured, staring at the ring for another moment before he held it out to her. 'Put it on.'

'What?' She yelped. 'No!'

'I just want to see what it looks like on. Come on, Nat please?' He pleaded. Natasha Romanoff was immune to many things, but apparently not Steve Rogers' puppy eyes. She took the ring from him and slipped it on the third finger on her right hand and held it up for both Lucy and Steve to see.

Steve was elated. 'I think that's the one. How much?' he asked and Natasha quickly pulled the ring off her finger, setting it back on the counter in front of her.

'That one is seven thousand five hundred.' Lucy said and then leaned forward to whisper, 'My son is a big Captain America fan. If you sign something for him, I'll let it go for seven.'

Steve grinned and held out a hand. 'Deal.'

Lucy shook it eagerly and picked up the tray, along with the ring they had selected. Natasha felt only relief that this was over with. She had expected that they would visit a couple of stores, look at some jewellery and then leave, maybe picking up a pizza on the way back to the tower. But no, she had spent the last four hours of her life helping Steve Rogers pick out an engagement ring.

He better buy her a pizza after this. A large one.


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N - Double update because I haven't posted in a while.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Ten

Natasha ended up getting her large pizza with olives, peppers and extra cheese. She normally stayed away from junk food as it made her feel lethargic and sleepy afterwards, but it was what she'd needed after that ridiculously long shopping trip. Steve had even ordered another seven large pizzas and picked them up on the way back to the tower, providing dinner for everyone, including Pepper. They'd gathered in the living room with beers and cans of coke, joking around and deciding to have a games night. After a lot of debate they eventually agreed to play Jenga, and the longer the game went on, the more ridiculous the challenges became.

'I bet I can shoot this block from the other side of the room without knocking the pile over.' Clint said, tapping the block that he meant and smirking around the table. Nadia took a sip of her beer, thoroughly amused by how competitive her teammates were.

'Care to make it interesting, Merida?' Tony quipped, making Clint scowl at the nickname.

'How?'

'I'll give you a hundred dollars if you pull it off.' Tony suggested, eyes glinting with mischief. 'If you lose, I get to call you whatever I want for a week and you can't hit me for it.'

Clint got to his feet and stretched. 'This'll be the easiest hundred bucks I've ever made.' He bragged, reaching behind the couch for his bow and quiver, pulling out a single arrow. He jogged over to the opposite side of the large room and lined up his shot. Nadia leaned forwards, hardly daring to breathe as she watched. The Jenga tower already wobbled precariously whenever a block was removed, making Clint's ambitious shot even bolder.

Clint let his arrow loose and in the blink of an eye, it buried itself in the floor, the Jenga block skewered along the arrow's shaft. The tower of blocks didn't move.

'Oh my god.' Nadia breathed and Thor whooped with laughter. Clint swaggered back over, plopping onto the couch and holding out a lazy hand toward Tony. He smirked when the billionaire slapped a crisp hundred dollar note into his palm, grumbling.

'Double or nothing I can make that shot with this block.' Natasha said, a challenging smile on her face as she pointed to a block lower on the tower and in a much riskier position. Clint raised his eyebrows at her.

'You're on, Romanoff.'

'Your money is mine, Barton.' She sang as she got to her feet, pulling a gun from where it was tucked into the back of her jeans. Nadia grinned at the sight – she was fairly certain her friend slept with a weapon of some kind. She was never unarmed at any time and even if she was, she was more than capable of killing someone with just her fists.

Natasha took up Clint's previous position at the opposite side of the room and raised her gun. They all moved out of the way to avoid getting hurt in case she missed. Steve leaned close to Nadia, his breath tickling her neck as he whispered, 'Think she'll make it?'

Nadia grinned. 'Absolutely.'

Natasha pulled the trigger.

The gunshot made Pepper jump violently, and Tony put an arm around her shoulders. Clint scrambled forwards to inspect the Jenga tower and found it completely intact, a block lying on the floor with a bullet poking out of it. He swore and let the block drop back onto the table as Natasha sauntered over, her gait exuding smugness. She dropped back into her seat and draped one leg over the other casually, wriggling her eyebrows at Nadia. Clint dug in his wallet and handed over her winnings, muttering under his breath.

'Alright doc, your turn. Dazzle us.' Tony grinned, his arm still draped around Pepper's shoulders. Nadia bit her lip and thought about how she could outdo the two assassins who had shown off so spectacularly.

'Okay,' she said eventually, and the looked around at her team. They were all watching her with amusement and anticipation, wondering what she would do. She pointed to a block in the tower. 'I'm going to move this block, without touching it.'

'I'm intrigued.' Clint said, narrowing his eyes at her. 'Go on.'

'You want more?' She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Pepper suddenly gasped and snatched up Tony's tie, which he had discarded long before they started playing. She threw it at Nadia, who caught it deftly.

'You should do it blindfolded.' Pepper suggested with an impish grin. Thor put down his beer and Steve put his chin in his hand, curiosity written on every face in the room. With a sigh Nadia shrugged and put the tie over her eyes.

'What do I get if I win?' she asked, knotting the material behind her head.

'Respect.' Clint replied.

'Honour.' Thor said.

'I'll come up with something.' Steve said, but low enough so that only she could hear. She blushed as heat rushed through her at his insinuation and reached out to shove his shoulder gently. He chuckled and she shifted forward on the couch, closer to the table.

Taking a deep breath, Nadia concentrated. She had done an exercise similar to this when she'd first been learning how to control her powers and although this was more delicate, it was the same principle. She couldn't control wood as it wasn't an element, so she had to get creative. There was no water left from when it was a tree and there wasn't any earth lingering in any roots, so she turned to the only plausible element – air. She could feel the space between the blocks, and she focussed on the one she had chosen to move. She put her hands out in front of her and let her power flow.

The block moved, millimetre by millimetre, as she used the air to push and pull the small wooden game piece. She heard a few sharp gasps and couldn't help as a corner of her mouth twitched upwards. She felt the tension in her shoulders ease when the block was finally pulled free and it floated through the air, Nadia's fingers moving in circles. Without a sound, Nadia set the block down on the top of the tower and when it didn't move, she let out a sigh.

'Holy shit.' She heard Tony breath and she laughed, pulling the blindfold off her face. She beamed as Thor grinned at her, clapping his hands together in applause. The others soon joined him and Nadia gave a mock bow.

'How the hell do you do that?' Bruce asked, voice full of wonder. She shrugged and took a sip of her beer.

'I don't know,' she replied, leaning back into the couch and tucking her feet up under her. 'I just do it. It's something that has always been inside me and when I reach for it, it responds and I can do all these amazing things.'

'It's amazing but it's scary too. You could make earthquakes, floods, wildfires and tornados if you wanted to.' Clint pointed out, blue eyes thoughtful. Nadia nodded.

'I could also drown you in your own blood or pull the air from your lungs if I wanted.' She added, her tone joking. 'So, don't piss me off, Barton.'

Natasha barked a laugh and Clint just rolled his eyes. Nadia nudged Steve's knee and noticed he was staring at her. She raised an eyebrow at him in question and he shook his head with a reassuring smile. He reached forward and selected his Jenga block. He eased it from its place, pausing when the tower wobbled, his forehead crinkled in concentration. Steve kept trying to move the block and in an instant, the tower came crashing down.

'Shit, shit, shit!' Steve swore, lunging forward to try and stop the tower from it's doom, but it was too late. The blocks clattered all over the table and then onto the floor, Bruce yanking his feet up to avoid getting his toes crushed.

'You lose, Cap.' Tony said, mirth written all over his face. 'A sight I never thought I'd see. Captain America losing.'

'Shut up, Stark.' Steve groused and everyone laughed. Thor looked a little disappointed.

'I was going to see if I could move my block by knocking it with Mjolnir.' He said and Pepper leaned forward, starting to pick up the blocks.

'Another round, guys?' She asked, just as Nadia let out a large yawn. Steve started picking up the blocks.

'I don't think so, Pep. I think we're calling it a night.' Steve looked over to Nadia for confirmation and she nodded, draining the last dregs of her beer and setting the empty bottle aside.

'Me too. I have to head off early in the morning.' Clint said, getting to his feet and picking up the empty pizza boxes and heading to the kitchen to dispose of them.

'You guys are so boring.' Tony whined, flopping over onto the couch dramatically. Pepper ignored him as she packed up the game, Steve helping by pulling out the arrow from the block that Clint had shot and handing it to her with a sympathetic look.

'We can play Mario Kart if you're up for a challenge.' Bruce suggested, eyes twinkling. Tony didn't move.

'You sure you can handle getting your ass handed to you again, jellygreen?' Tony mumbled into the couch and Bruce just grinned wider.

'I'll play.' Natasha said, a sharp glint in her eye.

'What is Mario Kart?' Thor asked, brow furrowed in a frown. Tony shot up, looking appalled.

'You haven't played Mario Kart?' Tony gaped and when Thor shook his head, still confused, Tony got to his feet.

'Oh, we have to fix this.' He mumbled. They started arguing about teams and Pepper just sighed heavily, turning towards the stairs to go up to the penthouse. Steve and Nadia took that as their cue and bade everyone goodnight. Clint joined them in the elevator and wished them sweet dreams as he got off on his level.

Nadia leaned against the wall of the elevator, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She felt Steve approach her, taking her hand in both of his and pressing a kiss to the back of it. She smiled slightly at the sweetness of the act.

'Long day?' He asked, no doubt noting the fatigue that had settled around her eyes and the way her body sagged against the wall.

'Very. I understand why Tony lives on a diet of coffee and energy drinks now. He's always moving and it's hard to keep up with him sometimes. I'm a fast learner, but this is a different type of learning curve.' She joked. Her eyes snapped open when the elevator arrived on their floor. They let themselves into their apartment, flicking the lights on and kicking off their shoes near the door.

'You're picking up engineering and mechanics rather quickly, I hear.' Steve complimented, relaying Bruce's observations. She snorted, pulling her hair up into a bun and wincing at the tightness of her muscles.

'I won't be building an Iron Man suit any time soon, but I'm understanding more and more every day. I figure if I can do spinal surgery, I can do this too. Besides, it's entertaining as hell watching Bruce and Tony bicker or having something blow up in Tony's face.' She said and Steve laughed at the picture she painted of their teammates. She gathered her pyjamas, smiling when Steve came up behind her and wound his arms around her waist, his lips dropping to the side of her neck.

'You alright?' He murmured against her skin.

'Just tired and little sore from sitting in the workshop all day.' She replied, turning her head to kiss his cheek.

'How about a bath? The hot water will help you relax.' He suggested, and for a moment Nadia seriously considered it.

'I don't want to keep you up by making noise.'

'I could always join you.' Steve said, and his hands tightened on her waist. Nadia's stomach tightened and desire rippled through her. It astounded her that she could love this man so much and still be so desirous of him after nearly two years of being together.

'Well,' she said, 'you better go start the water.'

Pressing a hot kiss to her neck that made her giggle, Steve swept into the bathroom and a moment later she heard the water running. She gathered up her pyjamas and underwear, along with Steve's and padded into the bathroom. She put their things on the countertop and turned. The bathroom was spacious, with a large shower, a double vanity and the large bathtub that had waterjets on the sides. She had bathed in it by herself before and she was wondering how they would both fit. Steve wasn't exactly a petite guy.

Steve was sitting by the edge of the bath, waiting for the water to fill. Nadia reached under the vanity for some bubble bath and dumped a generous amount into the water. Bubbles immediately started to form, and the bathroom started to smell like lavender.

'I can get you a little toy boat to make it feel less girly.' She teased.

Steve grinned and shook his head. 'I am very secure in my masculinity, thank you.'

Nadia giggled at his answer and leaned in to kiss him, her hands cradling his cheeks. His arms immediately wound around her waist, pulling her closer so that her body moulded against his.

'I missed this.' She mumbled between kisses. Steve kissed the tip of her nose, amused.

'You saw me this morning.' He reminded her. Something in her brain clicked and she pulled back, her hands sliding to the front of his chest.

'That reminds me. Where did you and Nat disappear off to today? You were gone for a while.'

'I didn't think you'd even noticed.' Steve said and Nadia noticed that his cheeks went pink, but whether that was because of the question or from the steam in the room, she didn't know.

'I came looking for you to see if you wanted to get some lunch. You said you wanted to try that new diner around the corner.' She explained, and Steve nodded in comprehension. His body had gone a little tense and she frowned a little – what wasn't he telling her?

'We just went out for a while. Natasha was feeling cooped up in the tower with nothing to do.' He replied after a pause. Nadia opened her mouth to say more, but his phone started ringing from the bedroom. He stood up. 'I'd better get that.'

Nadia relinquished her hold on him and he left the room. She heard him answer and pursed her lips, turning back to the bath. She had a feeling that Steve was keeping something from her. She trusted him enough to know that if it was something serious, he would tell her, however that didn't put her at ease. She didn't like the idea of there being secrets between them, especially when they had just moved past that terrible fight.

The water had reached a good level, so she turned the stream off. Unwilling to wait, Nadia stripped off, feeling so much better when she'd popped the button of her jeans and slipped her bra off. She kicked her pile of clothes out of reach and climbed into the bath, the hot water a godsend to her tired muscles. She stretched out, leaning her head against the small pillow there and closed her eyes, in complete bliss. With her eyes closed however, she couldn't see that the water moved with every breath she took, almost like a tide going in and out at the shore.

'You couldn't wait for me?'

Nadia cracked an eye open and saw Steve standing next to the bath, his arms crossed and lip twitching in an effort to hide his amusement. She batted her eyelashes at him and shot him an innocent smile.

'You're only upset because you didn't get to see me take my clothes off.' She countered. Steve's eyes dropped to the bathwater, which was so condensed with bubbles that he couldn't see anything through them.

'I enjoy undressing my beautiful girlfriend. Sue me.'

Nadia grinned at his cheeky response. 'Who was that on the phone?'

'Sam. He was calling to ask if I wanted to go to a baseball game with him this weekend.' Steve sounded almost hesitant.

'Why do you look so worried? You like baseball and Sam is your friend. You should go.' Nadia said, crossing one leg over her knee so that her bubbly skin was exposed above the water.

'We usually spend the weekends together.' He reminded her, his eyes glued to the exposed, wet skin of her bare leg.

'We see each other every day and it's good to spend time with other people. Go to the baseball game, Steve. Have some fun.' She insisted.

'You sure you don't mind me ditching date night?'

'I'm sure. I'll have some alone time. Paint my nails, watch some Netflix…it'll be fine.' She said. Steve pushed a hand through his hair and nodded.

Nadia bit her lip, eyes travelling over his body. 'So, are you going to join me or not?'

Chuckling, Steve stepped away from the bath and began to undress, Nadia's eyes taking in every movement. She had seen him nude hundreds of times by then, but she still adored looking at him. He tossed his socks first, followed by his shirt, jeans, tank top and finally he was down to his underwear.

'You need to stop looking at me like that, doll.' Steve's voice pulled Nadia from her thoughts, and she met his gaze. She shot him a naughty smile and moved in the bath, making room for him. He shucked his briefs and climbed in the bath with her, taking up a seat behind her, his legs on either side of her hips. He quickly caught her waist and pulled her towards him, her back leaning flush against his chest.

Nadia hummed in contentment. The water was warm and soothing against her muscles, and her extremely handsome boyfriend was cuddled up behind her, his wet skin pressing against her own and she could feel every inch of him.

'You look good in bubbles.' Steve murmured in her ear. She rested her arms against his shins while he used his hands to massage her shoulders. His fingers loosened the knots there, his lips skimming over the exposed skin of her neck. Nadia closed her eyes in contentment.

'You sure it's not the wet naked woman in your bath you like?'

'Oh, I definitely like that part too. But the bubbles make you look cute.'

Nadia laughed and twisted in her seat. She scooped a handful of bubbles into her hand and placed it on top of Steve's hair. 'Now you look cute too.' She said. Steve gave her what he probably hoped was an intimidating look, but with bubbles in his hair it only made him look comical.

She turned back around, giggling and dropped back into her previous position, happy to let Steve's hands massage all the tender spots on her body while she relaxed in the bath. She hadn't really understood how intimacy worked when she was younger, but she had found it with Steve. It was simple things like this, quiet nights in a bubble bath and talking to one another. These small moments were when she was happiest and thanked whatever god had sent Steve to her.

'You surprised me today, you know.'

Steve voice drew her from the comfortable haze she had fallen into. 'How's that?'

'Talking to Barton about your powers today. I remember a time when if somebody mentioned what you could do you would tense up, crawl inside yourself to ward off any attack. But now you seem so comfortable and confident in what you can do and what you're capable of. You even joked about killing him.' Steve chuckled as he finished and Nadia frowned when she sat and turned around again to face him, folding her legs underneath her and kneeling in the water.

'Is that a bad thing? That I joked about it?' She hated that her voice was so hesitant, but Steve's good opinion meant a lot to her.

He shook his head adamantly though. 'No, no.' He found her hands and took them in his own, giving them a squeeze. 'I'm so glad you feel that way. I don't ever want you to feel like you have to hide what you are, what you can do. Yes, your powers can be dangerous, but you are more than your abilities. You choose to use them to make the world a better place and that makes you even more powerful. I'm really proud of you, doll.'

Taking advantage of her position, Steve captured her lips with his, the kiss soft but insistent. Nadia leaned forwards, her hands running up into his hair and curling in the soft blonde strands. The kiss quickly became intense, tongues and teeth battling in a passionate dance. Nadia climbed into Steve's lap, thankful the bath was so wide otherwise the feat would have been impossible. They both groaned at the feeling of their hips meeting and Steve's grip on her tightened. He broke the kiss, his lips latching onto the pulse point on her neck. Nadia moaned loudly and she felt Steve grin against her neck.

'I love making you moan.' He whispered hotly and Nadia's toes curled at his words. His lips and tongue moved over her collarbone, moving down towards her exposed breasts. His teeth nibbled at her nipples and Nadia's hips jerked, her face flushing from both the stimulation and the steam rising from the water.

Unwilling to wait, Nadia reached between them and found his hardened length. He swore colourfully. She gave him a few gentle strokes, before settling her hips over the tip. Slowly, she sank down on him, going slowly and watching his face as she did so. His lips were parted, pupils dilated and he was staring at her mouth. His grip on her hips tightened and when she finally took all of him inside her, his head dropped forward onto her shoulder, breathing heavily. Nadia felt hot all over, both from the water and the feel of her boyfriend deep inside her, hitting spots that made her mouth go dry and her nipples harden.

She began to move. It was more of a grinding motion that a thrust, her hips moving up slightly and then swivelling, trying to find that perfect angle that would tip them both over the edge. Steve was groaning against her skin, his head still leaning against her shoulder. Hearing his reaction to her body never failed to make Nadia feel alive, like her entire body was singing. She moved her hips harder, angling them up a little more so that it was more of a thrusting motion and Steve's hips rose and fell to meet her, filling her up nicely.

Clearly not content to just let his girlfriend do all the work, Steve's hands rose from her hips, up past her waist and pressed into her upper back, angling her body close to his where he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked. Nadia bucked and gasped as her breasts tightened. Steve did it again, his teeth scraping the bud and Nadia moaned, picking up the pace of her hips, water sloshing over the sides of the bathtub at their movements.

One of Steve's hands moved around her front and fondled the breast he wasn't currently feasting on, teasing and pinching the nipple in regular intervals, making Nadia's core clench around his cock. Nadia's hands were in Steve's hair, pulling on the thick strands and curling around the base of his head.

'Nadia….doll…god, tell me you're close.' Steve whispered huskily, voice heavy with desire.

'Yes…almost…oh, Steve.' Nadia moaned back, her voice echoing off the tiles in the bathroom, her hips working harder as she moved against him. The hand that was fondling her breast slipped down, under the water to the apex of her thighs. His thumb sought out the engorged nub there and stroked. Nadia's hips jolted at the extra stimulation and her breaths started coming out in pants, her forehead glistening with sweat and her cheeks flushed pink. Steve's mouth continued to work on her breast and with his thumb stroking her clit, it wasn't long until Nadia was coming undone, her hips gyrating erratically against Steve's member, deep inside her. Steve followed soon after, both of them riding the waves of their orgasm until their breathing evened out and they were both satisfied.

Still inside her, Steve pulled Nadia's head closer to press a long, languid kiss to her lips, one that had his blood churning in no time. She pulled back, her fingers still tangled in his hair and her legs coiled around his waist, both totally wrapped up in each other and happy.

'We made a bit of a mess.' Nadia said, glancing over the rim of the bathtub. She waved a hand and the water rose up off the floor and from the soaked bathmat, and fell into the sink on the vanity, vanishing down the drain.

Steve's hands were on her waist, adoring the feeling of Nadia's curves. 'We should probably get out.' He suggested, but made no effort to move. Smirking, Nadia eased off his lap and promptly stood up in the bathtub, affording Steve a glorious view of her naked, wet, dripping body. There were bubbles that clung to her skin and she got out, taking her towel off the rack and wrapping it around her body, drying off. Steve sighed and followed her, pulling the plug from the drain. The water began to recede and he climbed out too, towelling off quickly. His eyes never left Nadia, watching as she sauntered into their bedroom to get dressed with the fluffy towel wrapped around her.

He raced after her, dropping his towel back on the rack and gathering her in his arms. 'Hey!'

'I wasn't done with you yet.' Came his reply before he ducked down to kiss her again, all sweetness and passion at the same time. Nadia relaxed in his arms immediately, kissing him back and winding her arms around his neck. Steve used the opportunity to drop the towel from around her and run his hands over her naked skin. She shivered against him and Steve felt a little pride at the affect he had on her.

Feeling a little impatient with their current position, he picked her up and threw her gently on the bed. She bounced, her hair flying and a shocked laugh bursting from her lips. Steve quickly crawled on top of her, a cheeky grin working its way onto his face. He took a moment to look at her, memorize ever freckle across her nose and cheeks, the exact shade of her stormy grey eyes, the way her hair fanned over their covers and the small smile she wore on her lips. The moment was fleeting but it was one he would remember for the rest of his life, and he leaned down to kiss her, driving them towards a long night of passion.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Eleven

The following weeks passed in a blur. The team had received anonymous tips regarding HYDRA bases that turned out to be fruitful. They were getting close to finding the last remaining factions of the organisation that had caused so much grief. With every safehouse and base they raided, they were one step closer to reaching their goal of cutting off HYDRA's last head. Trying to find out who supplied such useful information was a dead end, as their anonymous source was good at covering their tracks.

Nadia suspected it may have been her brother, leaving her breadcrumbs as he himself undertook spy work that gave him dealings with the despised organisation. However, she kept her suspicions to herself, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that her brother was a notorious spy.

The collaboration with Doctor Helen Cho was like a dream for Nadia. She was getting the opportunity to combine her two passions – her old love of medicine and her new love of engineering and robotics. Between she, Tony, Bruce and Helen, the four had become a wonderful team. Not only did they get along well, but they all partook in a rigorous work ethic. They had rigged up a copy of Helen's regeneration cradle and combined it with Tony's laser technology. The result was a machine that was able to heal wounds that could potentially be life threatening within an hour. Nadia could be seen practically skipping around the lab, her joy so evident about being back in her element. There was a particularly embarrassing video on Natasha's Instagram of Bruce, Tony and Nadia working in the lab, singing and dancing around like drunken fools to Queen. It had gone viral, something Tony seemed proud of.

Natasha and Bruce finally revealed what they had been working on all these months – a lullaby. A system of sensory processing for the Hulk, which involves key phrases and motions. They had been working on conditioning Bruce to associate the phrases with safety, control and calm so that when applied to the Hulk, part of his brain recognised the lullaby and would transform back. Apparently, they got the idea from Bucky's reconditioning during his time with HYDRA. Nadia thought it was a brilliant idea, but they decided to implement guidelines on when to bring in Bruce. They settled on a "Code Green" call that would alert Bruce that he was needed in the field, and afterwards, Natasha would go find him and give him the lullaby. Thor would be on hand in case things got out of control.

Nadia thought that Natasha was incredibly brave. She had experienced the ferocity of the Hulk first hand, back on the helicarrier when he had been triggered by Loki's attack. The two of them had crawled through the underbelly of the helicarrier, trying to escape the Hulk as he hunted them down, and Nadia remembered the fear she had felt, the same terror that had been etched into Natasha's face. And yet, here she was, ready to help her friend and put herself in harms way to do so.

They had been on their way back from a mission when they'd been alerted to an earthquake in the Philippines. It had devastated local towns, leaving many homeless and countless more missing or injured. Tony had enacted the Stark Relief Foundation, a charity his mother had started, to supply food, clean drinking water, temporary shelter and medical supplies. Bruce, Steve, Thor and Nadia had immediately flown to help in any way they could.

What awaited them was utter destruction. Buildings had crumbled into heaps of concrete and dust, trees had been toppled over and the ground was uneven as the earth shifted and moved. There was rubbish in the streets, wild dogs and cats skulked around looking for scraps, and the cries and shouts of people permeated the air as loudly as a gunshot. The air was polluted with dust and smoke, fires burning in houses that had been damaged. There were bodies in the streets, covered by bedsheets and volunteers ran around in orange vests, handing out bottled water and protein bars to the survivors. Everyone avoided looking at the tiny bundles that lay next to the bodies, afraid to imagine what lay under them.

Steve had immediately gotten to work upon landing, helping the local authorities and emergency crews coordinate search and rescue, Thor following behind with a determined look on his face. Bruce and Nadia swept into the local hospital, which was overflowing with the sick and injured. It was one of the few buildings in the entire city that was mostly intact, which made treating the injured easier, but it was also crowded and noisy. There were temporary medical tents set up in the parking lot outside and in the park across the street, where the people with minor injuries were being treated. They had rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work, trying to help as many people as they could. It had been like stepping onto a moving train; you couldn't stop it, only brace yourself and ride it out as best you could.

A blood drive had been set up in the cafeteria, those who were able to donate did so before joining search parties to find their missing loved ones. Relief aid poured in to help, volunteer doctors and nurses arriving to help the overwhelmed local's mere hours after the earthquake hit.

The earth trembled with aftershocks long after the initial earthquake subsided, and Nadia did her best to quiet the impact. There wasn't much she could do though – the earth was going through a natural shift, which was something she could minimise but not stop.

They worked for hours, triaging patients to either be treated, airlifted to another hospital, or they were made comfortable as they awaited their fate. It was always horrible to lose a patient, but Nadia didn't allow herself to linger on the faces of those she had lost. She kept going, forcing herself to focus. The dead were taken to the local stadium, where their bodies were laid out on the yellowing grass, white sheets draped over them.

Wave after wave of rescued people poured into the hospital and medical tents and it was all they could do to keep up. Bruce had slumped in exhaustion long ago, his head cradled in the crook of his arm as he napped on the cold floor of the hospital waiting room.

Nadia leaned against the wall, her hands were dry and chaffed from having to swap surgical gloves so often, her battle suit was covered in blood and sweat, her bruised and aching muscles from her previous mission were making themselves known now that she had stopped moving. Fatigue was beginning to set in. She had been awake for nearly 36 hours, most of which was spent either on that mission against HYDRA or treating survivors of the earthquake. Her eyes were beginning to droop, and she leaned her head back, promising herself that after a quick nap she would get right back to it.

'Doll? What are you doing on the floor?'

Groaning, Nadia cracked her eyes open, looking up at Steve. He was still in his suit, his shield on his back and a heavy layer of dust coating every inch of him to the point where his skin looked grey.

'You look like you just walked through a dust storm.' Nadia croaked, her voice hoarse from hours of use. Steve's lips lifted in a smile as he looked down at himself.

'Yeah my dry-cleaning bill is going to be a nightmare.' He replied, and Nadia offered him a tired smile of her own. 'Seriously, though, why are you on the floor?'

'This is kinda just where I landed, I don't have the energy to move right now.' She replied, her words slurring with exhaustion. Nadia's eyes slid shut again, sleep pulling her in. 'Where's Thor?'

'He's on the other side of the city, helping dig through the debris for survivors…and don't change the subject. You can't sleep on the floor, doll.'

She waved a hand lazily. 'I'll be fine. Just let me sleep for an hour or two and I'll be right to go again.'

Nadia's head lolled backwards and she settled in to take her nap, when she felt arms slide under her knees and around her back. She gasped, eyes flying open when she was hoisted up and into Steve's embrace, her small frame cradled against his body. She glared at him half-heartedly.

'Is this really necessary?' She griped. Steve's answer was just to smile at her, his teeth impossibly white against the dirt and grit all over him. He held her like she weighed next to nothing, and for a moment she considered just sleeping in his arms. He was warm and soft, if a little dirty.

Steve opened his mouth to reply when the earth shook, dust cascading from the ceiling and an ominous rumbling rolled over the city. After a moment, it subsided and she felt Steve sigh in relief.

'Probably just an aftershock.' Nadia said, frowning when her skin prickled, her senses picking up on something her brain wasn't comprehending.

Then, the wail of a siren sounded. Nadia slipped from Steve's arms, suddenly wide awake and scared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bruce clamber to his feet, pushing his glasses back onto his face and blinking the sleep from his eyes.

'What's going on?!' He shouted over the siren. 'And what is that god awful noise?!'

'It's a tsunami warning.' Nadia replied grimly. She could feel the pull of the ocean from there, the force so strong it was startling. Bruce's face fell with horror and he looked around. People were beginning to panic, as those who could ran for the exits, no doubt wanting to head to higher ground.

'What do we do?' Bruce asked, 'Where are these people going to go?'

'You take them to higher ground.' Nadia instructed, looking Steve straight in the eye, knowing what she had to do. 'I'll buy you as much time as I can.'

'What? Nadia, you can't stop a tidal wave!' Steve cried, hand shooting out to grasp her elbow, effectively stopping her from moving past him.

'I can buy you some time at least. Enough for you to evacuate the city to higher ground.' Nadia snapped, eyes flashing with determination. 'These people have lost enough today.'

Jaw clenched, Steve took in the way Nadia faced him, resolute in her decision. With a groan, he let go of her arm and instead swooped in to kiss her quickly. It was hurried, not much more than a peck, but it was all they had time for. After, he stepped away and jerked his head towards the exit. 'Go.'

She nodded and broke into a run, adrenaline keeping her arms and legs pumping towards the beach. She passed frightened families clutching their children, injured couples leaning on each other as they scrambled for safety, their lives in danger once again. These people had already been through hell, and they were going to have to endure another beating. Nadia shoved her way through the crowded streets, her eyes fixed ahead of her.

Looming above the city was a huge wave, dark and foreboding as it churned closer and closer. It was speeding towards destruction, and Nadia knew she didn't have a lot of time. Her lungs burning from the effort of her sprint and the inhalation of smoke from the fires, she pressed forward, determined that one more person would not die on her watch that day.

She skidded to a stop in the sand, the wave getting closer with each passing second. Panting and exhausted, Nadia planted her feet and set her jaw. The wind whipped her hair around her face, the cold sea spray making her shiver.

'Okay, okay,' She muttered to herself, shaking out her hands and raising them. 'I can do this. I can do this.'

Nadia noticed her hands were trembling, whether from fear or exhaustion, she didn't know. Deciding to ignore this, she closed her eyes and focused her concentration on the water. She felt a pull deep in her stomach as she connected with the element. Time seemed to slow as she breathed slowly, the pressure inside her building as she fought against the power of the sea for dominance.

Nadia opened her eyes and gasped.

A wall of water stood before her, as tall as a skyscraper. It churned and rolled but did not advance. It was as though it had come up against and invisible wall, halting its progress towards destruction. Laughter bubbled up in Nadia's chest, hot triumph spreading through her fatigued limbs. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she held the water back, her hands shaking more violently now.

Nadia had never felt this kind of power before. Not only was she holding back a tsunami, but she was settling it. The water began to recede slowly, trickling backwards so that the wave shrank in size. The pressure that had been building in her stomach since she'd engaged her powers was lessening, but her body was protesting. Every breath she took felt like she was inhaling razor blades, her muscles felt like they were on fire and a fierce headache was thumping in the back of her skull. She knew that she'd already reached her limit, that her powers were strong but her body hadn't quite adjusted yet. Still, she stood resolute, her hands raised, her teeth grit and pushed the water back…back…back where it belonged. She felt like a force of nature, contained inside a human body and the rush of power she felt at the thought was both frightening and exhilarating.

When the wave had receded enough, Nadia dropped her concentration. The water sloshed onto the shore, soaking the sand and her shoes, the normal push and pull rhythm resuming within moments.

She had stopped a tsunami. _They were safe,_ she thought.

Her body shook violently, her eyes rolled up into her head and Nadia collapsed in the sand, unconscious.

X

'…_damage is extensive and many people are still missing. The Stark Relief Foundation is on site along with World Vision to provide much needed aide to these poor souls who have just lost their homes. Of course, the damage would have been much worse if a certain Avenger hadn't been on site…'_

Everything hurt. Her toes, her ears, even her hair. Lifting her eyelids felt harder than anything she had every done in her life and blinking only aggravated the migraine that was pounding away at the inside of her skull.

Nadia was lying in a hospital bed, a thick, green blanket draped over the otherwise starched and thin regulation blankets hospitals usually provide. She was dressed in her favourite flannel pyjamas and someone had braided her hair. The television in the corner was playing the news, footage of the earthquake and subsequent rescue efforts flashing across the screen.

Nadia noticed however that she was not in the hospital. The floor was timber and the walls were painted a calming blue, and sunlight filtered through a window that sat high enough to view the New York City skyline. She deduced she was in the medical wing of the Avengers tower, and immediately wondered how long she had been unconscious.

She knew she had pushed her body too far, had known the consequences of using too much of her powers without building up to it properly, but she'd had no choice. She didn't regret her actions, but she admitted that she was lucky to be alive.

Looking around the room, she spotted a paperback on the guest chair, along with a coffee mug and a pair of reading glasses – hers. She'd obviously had a visitor recently and she let out a sigh, wondering who it would be. She hoped it would be Bruce or Tony, as they were the least likely to lecture her on overexerting herself in the field. But then Thor had a lovely bedside manner, his ability to make jokes lightening an otherwise dull situation, A.K.A lying in a hospital bed for hours on end. Next was Clint, who would simply give her what the team had dubbed his "stare of shame." That left Natasha and Steve, easily the most overprotective of the group, being her best friend and boyfriend, respectively.

The door slid open and Nadia sighed when she saw Steve's massive frame entered, his footsteps light and quiet, obviously conscious about not disturbing her. He cradled a fresh cup of coffee in his hand and his hair was slightly damp from a shower. When he spotted her lying awake in the bed, his entire body relaxed, the tension seeping from his muscles instantly.

'You're finally awake.' He stated, crossing the room in three giant strides and setting his coffee down, taking her hand in both of his and cradling it.

'How long was I out?' she asked, her voice cracking and hoarse. Steve handed her a glass of water, watching her sip lightly a few times before he answered.

'Nearly two days. I found you collapsed on the beach, unconscious.' Steve's face slackened with worry. 'You were so pale, doll. I thought…'

'I'm okay.' She reassured, squeezing his hand. 'I'm still trying to work out what my limits are. I have all this power constantly surging and growing inside me, and my body has to play catch up when I take it a step too far.'

'Only a step too far?' he repeated, something like anger flashing in his eyes. 'You were unconscious and unresponsive for days, Nadia. We were all worried sick.'

'I'm sorry to have worried you. But I'm okay, the town wasn't swept away by a giant wave and we all lived to tell the tale. As far as I'm concerned, that's a win.' She replied, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, because the worry lines that wrinkled his forehead disappeared, and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly.

'There's only room in this relationship for one suicidal martyr and that's already taken, doll. Get your own thing.' He teased.

'Oh, you sacrifice yourself for your country _once_ and you're an expert?' She giggled. Steve squeezed the hand he was holding and pressed a lingering kiss to her palm. She sighed at the feeling, her body relaxing.

'Seriously, doll. You scared the hell out of me.'

Nadia reached her free hand around and stroked his cheek with her fingers, stubble prickling her skin. She could see how much it had affected him, but she had no doubt that if the roles were reversed, he would have done the same thing. They were both running into danger constantly, and sometimes they got hurt.

'I'll be alright, Steve.'

'Next time give me a chance to convince you to let me tag along. I'd rather run into danger with you than be left behind.' Steve mumbled, his lips still pressed against her hand, the fingers of her other hand curling in his hair.

'I promise.'

'On a side note, what you did was…incredible, Nadia. I've never seen anything like it.' Steve whispered, awe permeating his voice. 'But if you're going to start saving the world from natural disasters, I suggest you start small and build up to things like tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires.'

'Noted.' Nadia giggled, wincing in pain when the movements pulled on aching muscles. Her eyes drifted to the television where the news was still broadcasting footage of the destruction of what happened. She jerked her chin towards the broadcast, where a clip of Thor carrying an elderly woman from a collapsed building played.

'Is the news liking us today?' She asked drily. The Avengers had a love/hate relationship with the media, the pendulum swinging from adoration to abhorrence within the hour sometimes.

Steve looked at the screen too. 'They like us, but they are loving you. There was a helicopter in the air filming the destruction from the air. It caught what you did on camera. It's got about a hundred million views at last count.'

'One hundred and fifty, now.' Natasha strode into the room, arms crossed over her chest and phone clutched in her hand. She was dressed casually in leggings and a hoodie, her hair pulled into a simple braid. Her green eyes assessed Nadia quickly before their gazes met. 'How are you feeling?'

'Like I've been hit by a truck.' Nadia answered honestly. Natasha snorted, shaking her head.

'I'm not surprised. You nearly killed yourself using too much of your power – _again_.' The spy's tone was terse and annoyed.

'Nat…' Nadia sighed, 'What did you expect me to do?'

Natasha pursed her lips unhappily but said nothing, averting her gaze back to the television. Nadia sighed again, sinking back against her pillow and pulling the fluffy blanket that was draped over her higher.

'Where are the others?' She eventually asked.

'Thor and Bruce stayed on site to provide help and Tony flew to Washington this morning for a press conference about the Stark Relief Foundation. Clint is…out.'

Steve shot a look at Nadia, his eyebrows slightly raised. Clint was often MIA for a few days, never saying where he was going or for how long, but he showed up when they had a mission or team meetings or essential training sessions and that was all Steve cared about. Still, as a team and a family, they worried about him.

'Hill is taking care of the press and Pepper is in Japan at the moment.' Natasha went on, still looking at the TV screen. 'They should all be back by the end of the week. Doctor Cho has been monitoring you for the last two days.'

'Your brother called.' Steve piped up suddenly. Nadia's eyebrows rose, her grey eyes growing round in surprise.

'What did he want?'

'He saw the news and wanted to check on you. He was a bit surprised when I answered your phone instead of you.' Steve smirked, and Nadia imagined the look on Josef's face at hearing her boyfriend answering her phone. 'Told me to yell at you for trying to run before you could walk and all that.'

'Sounds like Josef.'

'Also wanted me to tell you that he'll come visit you soon. Says there's something he wants to talk to you about.'

'How ominous. This will be fun.' Nadia grimaced. Whenever Josef had wanted to speak to her in the past, it was always about one thing – their parents. Those talks were never enjoyable.

'I like your brother. He seems competent.' Natasha said decisively.

'When did you speak with Josef?' Nadia wondered, incredulous.

'She snatched the phone off me when she realised who I was talking to.' Steve explained and Natasha shot him an annoyed look.

'Don't say "snatched." You make me sound like I'm six years old."

'Well it's what you did.'

'Shut up.'

'See what I mean?'

Natasha rolled her eyes and Nadia grinned at their antics. The two of them got along so well usually that when they bickered and teased one another it was hilarious.

'Did Josef say anything else?'

Steve hesitated for a moment before answering. 'No. Nothing else.'

Nadia didn't believe him for a second and wondered what he was keeping from her. The more time that passed, the more suspicious he acted, getting jumpy and frazzled too easily. Pressing her lips together, she leaned back and closed her eyes, making a game plan in her head on how to get her boyfriend to spill the beans on his big secret.


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N – We are beginning AOU now people and as of last Wednesday, I am officially jobless. Like so many people, COVID-19 has led to dismissal from my job. I'm trying to look at this as a positive, as it means that I now have time to do more writing and other things that I love. I hope you're all staying safe during these difficult times, especially my readers in America. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters ****therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Twelve

It turns out that Steve is a better secret keeper than Nadia had anticipated. In the four months that had gone by since the tsunami in the Philippines, she was no closer to discovering what he was keeping from her. There were a few times when he was on the cusp of telling her, moments when it was just the two of them in their bed, or on the infrequent dates they managed to organise between their hectic schedules, but he never did. It was driving Nadia mad. She had tried to wrangle an answer out of Natasha (who she was convinced knew something) but to no avail. Trying to force an answer out of a legendary ex-assassin and spy was no easy feat, and Sam was just as tight lipped. Although he seemed to be enjoying her frustration, smirking whenever she tried to subtly extract information out of him. Thankfully, the rest of the team seemed as in the dark as she was.

The Avengers had been busy. They had been raiding HYDRA bases all over the world trying to locate Loki's sceptre and elusive leaders within the organisation. One by one they took the bases and safe houses, collecting any useful information they found and using it to find their next targets. As time went on, HYDRA's defences got more sophisticated and were enhanced by alien technology they had harvested from the Chitauri invasion. Instead of dissuading the team from attacking, it only bolstered their spirits, sensing that the war on HYDRA was coming to its peak and would hopefully be over soon.

Tony thought he may have found another base for them to raid and was running decryption on files that had acquired on their last mission at that very moment. It was surprisingly difficult to crack, but not impossible. He'd told the team he would alert them as soon as he got a location.

Nadia turned her phone over in her hand, lounging casually in her chair with a coffee and a half-eaten muffin in front of her, a frown pulling at her forehead. Josef was late to meet her and he was never late. It was one of the benefits of being able to teleport – you didn't have to worry about traffic.

He'd been trying to meet up with her for months, ever since she had nearly died stopping that tsunami. She will admit to feeling badass when she saw the footage of the incident. She stood, a tiny figure against a tidal wave, the wind howling and waves crashing. What had surprised her was what happened that she couldn't see. Steve had always described her eyes as thundercloud grey, but facing that natural disaster, it was like they had turned silver, glowing with power. It had elated and frightened her, but she played it off as a trick of the light, nothing to worry about.

She sighed, shifting in her seat again, trying to get comfortable. She drained the dregs of her coffee and set the empty mug back down, eyes scanning the crowds of people that passed her on the sidewalk of New York. Then, like a bolt of lighting down her spine, she sensed him coming. She felt his footsteps as he walked, felt the air shift around her, carrying the smell of his cologne towards her.

When her brother sat down across from her, she felt equal parts relieved and annoyed, a conflicting set of emotions only a sibling could invoke. Hi dark hair was shorter, spikey and uneven in places that made her suspect he had cut it off himself with his favourite hunting knife. He was sporting a short beard, his grey eyes a few shades lighter than hers, and he was dressed casually, in jeans and a leather jacket. Nadia suspected, however, that he had no less than three knives on him and at least one gun.

'Sorry I'm late. I had to deal with an annoyance.' Josef explained, reaching across the table and taking her half-eaten muffin.

'An annoyance?' Nadia repeated, one eyebrow raised. 'Is that what they're calling assassination these days?'

Josef just grinned at her, teeth gleaming. 'You're looking well. That solider of yours treating you properly?'

'Is that why you wanted to meet? To grill me about my boyfriend?' Nadia asked. She was well aware of the danger meeting with Josef posed, and the fact he was taking it so lightly was irritating.

'Just making conversation with my baby sister. Aren't you going to ask me how I'm doing? If I've seen any good movies lately? If I'm dating anyone?'

Nadia leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. 'Are you?'

'I'm saving myself for that pretty redhead you hang out with.' Josef replied easily and Nadia's frown increased.

'Natasha. And no. Ew. My brother is not dating my best friend.'

'That's right. Natasha Romanoff. Her reputation precedes her, of course, but she seemed very nice on the phone when I spoke to her. Not at all like a murdering seductress.' Josef took another bite of the muffin, unaffected by the glare his sister was giving him. 'Is she seeing anyone?'

'Sort of. It's complicated.' Nadia replied tersely. As far as she was aware, her best friend wasn't seeing anybody, but anyone with eyes could see that _something_ was going on between her and Bruce.

'Shame.'

'Josef, why are you here? You're making light conversation and trying to hook up with my friend. This isn't like you and I'm starting to worry. What's going on?'

Brushing his hands together to get rid of crumbs, he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. His eyes met hers and the joking light in them had gone. Bracing herself, Nadia leaned forward too.

'I found something about our parents.'

A stone dropped into Nadia's stomach at the words, her mouth feeling dry. She knew that was the reason he'd wanted to meet with her, but had hoped against hope that it wasn't true. She had long since given up on finding anything about them, including why they abandoned their children. But like watching a car crash, Nadia couldn't turn away – she had to know.

'And?' She prompted him to continue.

'It's actually because of you I found anything. Those HYDRA raiding parties you and your team are so fond of have uncovered some seriously classified information.' From inside his jacket, Josef produced a small folder and slid it across the table towards her. Gingerly, like the paper might suddenly turn into a snake and bite her, Nadia opened it. As her eyes took in the information, Josef continued talking.

'Our father was a HYDRA operative in the science division. He was part of the team that specialises in human experimentation. He was your typical mad scientist, trying to create living weapons, but they weren't having any luck replicating Erskine's formula, and every attempt to create something somewhat similar was unsuccessful, unstable or impermanent. Then, he met our mother.'

Nadia stared at the photo of woman, the shot resembling that of a prison photo. It was grainy and in black and white, but Nadia could make out features on the woman's face that she shared. Same chin, same small nose, even the dark hair was the same. But the woman wasn't smiling, there were bruises on her wrists, like she'd been chained up, and she was wearing what looked like scrubs.

'She was part of a program HYDRA was running on people with a particular genome sequence. It had mutated to the point where she had abilities, and the scientists at HYDRA were interested in replicating that. They had…collected…numerous people with this mutation and were experimenting on them, trying to figure out what triggered the mutation, but they were unsuccessful. Then our father had the idea of…reproducing the attributes of the mutated genes.'

Nadia looked up from the file, horror written across her face. Josef's own face was blank, carefully composed, but his eyes raged with fiery anger.

'He raped her.' It was a statement, not a guess, and Nadia felt the words burn in her mouth. Josef's mouth scrunched up in disgust, but he didn't disagree. She wasn't sure why it shocked her so much, HYDRA was capable of atrocities much worse than sexual assault, but it still disturbed her.

'She became pregnant with me and his venture was successful. She gave birth to a child with mutated genes and powers. They tried to replicate the results with other candidates in the program but were unsuccessful.' Nadia looked back down at the file as her brother continued to speak. 'They experimented on me too, trained me. They tested the limits of my powers and my intelligence. They were going to raise me up in HYDRA, a true fanatic.'

The revulsion in his voice is evident and grew with every word. She wanted to reach across the table and take his hand, but Nadia remained in her seat, sensing that he needed to speak.

'Our father wanted to send me to Russia, to be trained by the Winter Soldier.' Nadia's head jerked up at the name, and Josef inclined his head in acknowledgement. 'When our mother heard of this, she was already pregnant with you. She told the other captives and they helped her escape with me. She fled from HYDRA, which was easier to do in a time when there was no technology that could track you. But she was pregnant and giving birth to a baby draws attention and the agents sent to bring her back were closing in.'

The terror that her mother must have felt, Nadia thought, her heart breaking for the woman that she had hated nearly all her life. She closed the file, sick to her stomach with the details it contained, and listened to her brother.

'She found a midwife who helped deliver you. I remember how loud you bawled. You were tiny but you made so much noise.' Josef grinned. Nadia watched the expressions dance across her normally stoic brothers face. 'She knew that HYDRA was going to catch up with her eventually, and when they did she didn't want us to be caught too.'

'So she left us.' Nadia guessed. Josef nodded.

'She left you with me in the bushes near the highway. She told me to wait, keep you quiet and that we'd be safe now.' He paused, glancing away. 'They found her without us, days later in an abandoned building where she was squatting. She refused to tell them where we were, and they threatened to torture it out of her, so she…she killed herself.'

'Rather than give us away.' Nadia heard and felt how her voice tremored, but it didn't feel like her own. Her cheeks were wet, she realised. 'She was tortured, assaulted, and killed herself rather than give away her children.'

'The children that were forced upon her by a monster.' Josef spat.

'You'd be surprised what a mother will do for her child.' Nadia replied quietly. 'I can't imagine anything I wouldn't do for a child of my own.'

Josef's eyebrows rose and he leaned forwards on his elbows, hands clasped on the table in front of them. 'Is there something you need to tell me? Am I going to be an uncle?'

Laughter bubbled out of Nadia before she could stop it. He sounded so surprised that she couldn't help it. She wiped at her wet cheeks, the tears she had shed for her mother dashed away as quickly as they came.

'No, and I'm sorry to disappoint you.' she said. she sobered immediately, her gaze falling on the file. A sigh left her lips and she leaned back in her chair. 'When you told me you needed to speak to me, that you had information about our past, our parents, this isn't what I imagined.'

'This didn't seem like a phone conversation.'

'No.' she agreed. Her eyes swept over his face, noting the exhaustion that hadn't been there before. 'You told me that you had no memory of our parents, that you had no idea who they were.'

'I didn't. But when I came across this information it's like…the memories came back. It was like I'd blocked them out for so long that they didn't exist. Until they did.' Josef frowned at the file that lay innocently on the table, as though the contents hadn't just shaken their lives.

This time, Nadia did reach across and took his hands in her own and squeezed them in reassurance. There were very few times when she'd been able to really act like a sister to him. They had fought together in the past, escaping enemies intent on killing them, they had laughed and trained together during those months he had taught her to control her powers but she had never been able to do this – comfort her brother when he was hurting.

'Do you think…' Josef trailed off, frowning, 'Are you worried? Having a HYDRA agent as our biological father?'

'I have dedicated the last year of my life to taking down that cult. I want nothing to do with them and I abhor everything they stand for. We are not our parents, especially that man.'

'Nadia, I'm a spy. I tell lies, I've murdered and stolen and tortured. I am not a good man.'

'You've never killed innocent people, Josef. You have dedicated your life to the shadows, yes, but it is from the shadows that you have saved countless people. We both save people. I did it as a doctor and now as an Avenger. You do it as a spy. We are everything our father hated and I couldn't be prouder of that.'

Josef laughed at her words and the sound made the stone in Nadia's stomach disappear. It was like a weight that she had carried her entire life lifted off her chest, and she could finally breath normally.

'Paolera,' Nadia continued, 'It was her name, not his. Our mother was brave, and strong and she loved us. Of that I have no doubt. The way we came into this world wasn't ideal, but at least we have each other.'

Josef smiled at her and his hands tightened around hers. 'At least we have answers now.'

Nadia chuckled. 'True. We don't have to speculate anymore. Our father was a crazy mad scientist and our mother was an enhanced individual who was captured and experimented on by HYDRA.'

'Completely normal.' He nodded, grinning.

'Absolutely.'

Nadia's phone chimed. After a moment, she disengaged her hands from Josef's grip and picked it up. There was a message from Tony.

_I got the location. Get your ass over here._

Smirking at Tony's attitude she shook her head and looked back at her brother. 'I have to go.'

'Avengers calling?' Josef guessed. Nadia got to her feet, her chair scraping against the concrete floor. He stood as well, glancing around him.

'Be careful, Josef. And call me more often.' She ordered, poking him in the chest lightly. Grinning, he pulled her in for a swift hug.

'Have fun saving the world, little sister.' He said, winking before he disappeared. Nadia glanced at the file on the table, hesitated for a moment, then flipped it open again. She stared at the face of her mother for a long moment before tucking the picture into her pocket. Heaving a sigh, Nadia moved the file to sit atop the ashtray on the table, and promptly set it on fire. She watched flames lick the paper, watched it turn black and curl inwards for a few moments and then she turned and walked away.


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N - Please remember to leave a review! We are officially in AoU now!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Thirteen

Nadia crouched in the snow, her breath leaving puffs of cloud on the frigid air. This was the most heavily fortified HYDRA base they had come across. Thor was practically shaking with anticipation, hoping that Loki's sceptre was there. He was eager to take the infernal thing back to Asgard, where it could be kept under strict guard. What had been the icing on the cake was the confirmation that Wolfgang Von Stucker was there, and he was the last of the high-ranking HYDRA agents. Capturing him would effectively end the war on HYDRA and that alone gave the entire team enough motivation to storm the castle.

They had agreed on a stealthy approach, as they were unaware of their enemy's numbers. The old castle on the hill was protected by ammunitions and looked down upon a dense forest, where there sat a number of underground bunkers and lookout points. HYDRA had the advantage of the high ground, a fortified base and soldiers that were equipped by alien technology, so Natasha and Steve (undoubtedly the teams best strategists) concluded that the only way they were going to have any chance of winning would be to take their enemy by surprise.

Hence, why Nadia was currently kneeling in the snow, peering over an embankment at the line of sentries that patrolled the border of the forest. They were armed with Chitauri technology and body armour over their white military uniforms. She glanced sideways at Steve and then past him at Natasha and Clint. The four of them were the best suited to lead the stealth part of the mission, while Thor waited back with Banner. Tony was flying high, keeping out of range of their sensors and trying to find a way past their defences.

'On my mark.' Steve muttered lowly, and Nadia drew the twin blades from her back, the sharp steel glinting in the winter sunlight. She took a steadying breath.

'Now.'

As one, they crept forwards towards the sentries, using the trees and shadows to hide their approach and stay out of their sight. The snow barely made a sound under Nadia's feet, her steps light and practised as she analysed how many opponents there were, how they moved and what the best way to defeat them would be. Around her, the others moved just as quietly, their boots making soft crunching noises in the snow and their breath the only sign that they were there.

A twig snapped.

Nadia looked around to see who had made the noise, but it didn't matter – the sentries had heard it too and were now pointing their weapons in their direction, shouting orders. Their cover blown, the four Avengers burst from the tree line, materialising seemingly out of thin air. Nadia threw one of her knives at the closest solider, rolling in the snow and coming up in front of another, slashing open his throat before he had a chance to get off his gun. The others were similarly engaged, taking down the other patrolling agents. Nadia reached down and yanked her knife out of the fallen HYDRA agent's chest, searching her surroundings. She could sense another opponent, their footsteps heavy in the snow.

He was coming up behind Steve, gun raised, and Nadia didn't even think. With a sweeping motion of her arm, water rose from the solid ground, forming a long spear of ice, and launched it at the HYDRA soldier.

'Look out!' Steve shouted, jerking Nadia out of the way of a jet of light that burst from the soldier's gun even as he fell. It missed them, streaking towards one of the jeeps that was parked nearby. On impact, the car exploded, a huge plume of fire soaring up into the sky and alerting everyone to their presence.

Cursing, Clint looked around, his keen eyes spotting something in the distance. 'Guys,' he said, jerking his head towards the forest. 'We've got more incoming.'

'How many are we talking, Stark?' Steve asked, hand pressing to the comms device in his ear.

'_A lot. They've got tanks rolling in._'

Nadia ducked as another bolt of energy surged towards her, the sound and sight the same as the ammunitions used during the battle of New York and for a moment, Nadia felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Clint fired off an arrow into the distance. The approaching group of soldiers marched towards them, never wavering from their targets. Nadia gestured with fisted hands, the earth opening up around the HYDRA agents, swallowing them deep into the depths of a pit and then closing over them.

'Alright, there's bound to be more of them incoming. Let's split up, cover more ground. Romanoff and Barton, you two go east and circle back around. Nadia and I will go west. Stark, you focus on getting us into that base. Thor, you cover wherever needed.' Steve ordered, adjusting his grip on his shield.

'You got it.' Clint said, jogging over to one of the remaining Jeeps and pulling open the control panel. Natasha jumped into the driver's seat once the engine was started with Clint standing in the back, bow in hand. They disappeared into the dense forest. Nadia and Steve took off in the opposite direction, eyes sweeping for more agents as they jogged at a steady pace.

'_Cap? Is this a code green?'_

Bruce's voice sounded unsure but steady in Nadia's ear. They didn't have time to answer, as a cannon fired and the ground erupted around them where it hit. They were thrown backwards, dirt and snow flying everywhere. Ears ringing from the shot going off, Nadia rolled behind a tree for cover, panting at the sudden attack. She raised her arm and wiped her face on the sleeve of her arm to rid her vision of the debris that had stuck to her from the cannon blast.

'Get out here, Banner.' Steve ordered, gritting his teeth and getting back onto his feet, charging the bunker that had fired at them. Nadia followed closely behind, watching his back and demolishing the bunker when it had been cleared of enemies.

A siren was sounding high up on the hill in the main base, alerting everything that they were under attack. A machine gun started unleashing fire onto the forest, the impact of the shots rumbling through the ground. Off in the distance, they could hear the roar of the Hulk.

'Okay, the sooner we get rid of these guys, the better.' Nadia stated, 'They're going to come at us with everything they've got.'

Even as she spoke, more soldiers appeared and she swung her knife in her hand, adjusting her grip. Together, she and Steve advanced on the group, working in tandem to defeat their enemies. The technology these HYDRA soldiers possessed was far more advanced than what the Avengers were used to. Not just the weapons, but they had rigged up devices that helped some of the men fly.

What had started out as a stealth mission had deteriorated in a manner of minutes and soon the forest became a warzone. Guns fired, arrows were launched, and Nadia wreaked havoc wherever she could. Natasha and Clint were tearing through the forest on that Jeep, crashing into ground soldiers or shooting them out of the sky. Thor was a silver and scarlet blur, flying around and swinging Mjolnir with deadly accuracy. Stark took care of the assault from the sky, giving them air cover whenever needed while trying to crack the defences on Strucker's base.

They wove around each other, working like a well-oiled machine, helping wherever they could to cause the most amount of damage. Steve had hijacked a motorcycle from somewhere and was using it to tear through HYDRA's men. It was almost an unfair fight, even with the Chitauri technology. Thor had launched himself up onto a steel framed watch tower, kicking aside attackers like they were more of a nuisance than a theat.

The Avengers were closing in on the base and were surrounding each other, the soldiers trying to get in a hit but failing. A blast ripped through the air and the truck that was pursuing Natasha and Clint burst into flame, flying through the air towards Nadia. She gasped, feet frozen in horror, when the Hulk stepped in front of her, catching the truck mid-air and using the momentum to throw it towards HYDRA instead.

She didn't have time to say thank you, as people were still shooting at her. She launched forwards, disarming the men easily and knocking them out with swift, calculated movements that had been drilled into her body. Her breathing was harsh in her ears, the smell of gunpowder and blood on the air. Sweat streaked her forehead and she was covered in a mixture of snow and dirt.

Nadia didn't stop however, launching herself at the same time as Natasha and Clint did, abandoning the Jeep to tackle their newest round of foes. To be on the battlefield was to be in the midst of chaos – you did not think, you just acted. From the corner of her eye, she saw a red and gold streak fly up above the trees, the way finally clear enough for him to approach the base.

'_Shit!_' Tony cursed loudly in her ear, making her lips lift in a smile.

'_Language!_' Steve admonished, which made Nadia's smile grow even further, even as she snapped a man's neck in her hands. '_JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?'_

Tony's AI answered, '_The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken.'_

A fresh wave of soldiers marched towards Nadia and she straightened her spine as they approached, a tank rolling behind them. She ran towards them, a vicious snarl on her face as she twirled and slashed, her daggers glinting the light as she fought. Thor landed in the midst of the attack, and she shot him a smile, ducking under the arm of an assailant and gutting him for his trouble.

'_Loki's sceptre must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defence without it.' _The excitement in Thor's voice did not go unnoticed,_ 'At long last._'

There was an explosion to their left and then Natasha's voice came over the comms system, _'At long last is lasting a little long, boys.'_

'_Yeah,'_ Clint agreed, _'I think we've lost the element of surprise.'_

Nadia barked out a laugh. 'Now, what gave you guys that idea?'

'_Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said "language?"_ Tony's voice was tinged with both surprise and amusement. Nadia looked over at Thor, who was sporting a pleased look at the expense of her boyfriend. If only the team knew just how much of a potty mouth he could be, especially in bed. Then they'd really have something to laugh about.

'_I know.'_ Steve sighed through her earpiece, which only doubled her enjoyment. There was a resounding crash and then, _'It just slipped out.'_

Thor winked at Nadia, swinging Mjolnir quickly and taking off, having dispensed with this group of soldiers. Nadia jumped over the fallen bodies, jogging towards where she thought Natasha was. She stopped, however, when she sensed something moving through the woods, something that was moving impossibly fast. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she looked to her left, where she was positive it was coming from. Changing direction, she picked up the pace, grey eyes taking in the battlefield to try and spot this newcomer. She came to a halt, her skin crawled unpleasantly, and a disturbing feeling settled in her stomach as the thought that she was being watched.

She blinked when a man stood before her, tall and lean with a shock of white blonde hair. He was wearing running shoes and was smirking at her. His eyes however were more curious than anything else. For a heartbeat they stared at each other, a weird feeling washing over Nadia, something familiar yet distant.

'_Clint!_' Natasha's shout of worry jerked Nadia from her staring contest, and she looked behind her. Glancing back, the man was gone and with huff of annoyance, Nadia took off.

'_We have an enhanced in the field_.' Steve's gruff voice intoned, but Nadia didn't miss the concern there.

'_Clint's hit!'_

She rounded the corner of an empty dugout and saw Clint lying in the snow, Natasha hovering over him. Nadia surged forwards and slid to a stop in the snow, on her knees next to her fallen comrade and assessing the damage quickly. His entire side had been burned and ripped away, exposing taut muscle to the air. Blood was pooling on the snow and he was gasping for breath, pain marring his handsome features.

Nadia reached into her belt and pulled out a swatch of gauze, pressing it to his wound tightly. She looked up at Natasha and the spy immediately took over, keeping the pressure on. Nadia took a small syringe of morphine from another pocket and uncapped the top with her teeth, pressing her cold fingers against the exposed skin on Clint's neck. Finding a vein, she slid the needle in, pushing the plunger down.

Both Nadia and Natasha flinched when a cannon blast landed too close to where they crouched. With a flick of Nadia's wrist, a section of rock rose up like a tent in front of them, providing some cover, but the bunker that lay just beyond the ridge kept firing at them.

'Does someone want to deal with that bunker?' Natasha huffed, looking down at where her hands were pressed against Clint's side, the bandage there soaked red.

There was a loud roar and the Hulk appeared, tumbling through the cement bunker and sending debris flying everywhere. He threw the soldiers manning it into trees, sickening crunches of bones breaking indicating that they wouldn't be getting up again.

'Thank you.' Natasha said meekly, and Nadia concentrated on securing another bandage to Clint's side, pulling out some surgical tape to secure it in place.

'_Stark, we really need to get inside!_' Steve grunted, which Nadia could only assume meant he was engaging with some hostiles. Her eyes swept over Clint. He was badly injured and there wasn't much more she could do for him in the field. He needed to get back to the tower, where she could treat him properly. He would definitely need a session under Doctor Cho's regeneration laser.

'_I'm closing in._' Came Tony's reply and Nadia sighed in relief.

Heavy footsteps crunched in the snow and she looked up. Picking up her knife, she threw it over Natasha's shoulder, where it buried itself in the eye socket of a HYDRA soldier. Natasha whipped around quickly, drawing her two guns from her side and firing in quick succession, killing the other six soldiers that were approaching them. without missing a beat, Natasha turned back to Clint, holding his hand and maintaining pressure on his wound while Nadia worked.

'_Drawbridge is down, people.' _Tony crowed proudly.

There was a rumble of thunder, and Nadia felt the vibrations of Thor's hammer shaking the earth. His deep voice asked, _'The enhanced?'_

Steve's reply was instant, _'He's a blur. All the new player's we've faced, I've never seen this. In fact, I still haven't.'_

'Clint's hit pretty bad, guys. We're gonna need evac.' Natasha said.

'He's stable for now, but no guarantees he'll stay that way,' Nadia added.

'_I can get Barton to the jet_.' Thor volunteered, '_The sooner we're gone the better. You and Stark secure the sceptre.'_

'_Copy that._' Steve replied. There was a moment's silence before Nadia's head jerked up, the ringing pound of Thor's hammer meeting Steve's shield echoing throughout the woods.

'_Find the sceptre.'_

'_And for gosh sake, watch your language!'_ Tony joked.

Steve sighed, _'That's not going away anytime soon.'_

Nadia grinned, sheathing her knives on her back and getting to her feet. Thor landed close by and nodded in greeting. He hooked his hammer onto his belt and knelt beside Clint. He gently scooped him up into his arms, trying not to jostle him. Clint's jaw was clenched in an effort not to make noise, his hands closed into fists.

'I'll go with Thor and get Clint settled.' Nadia said to Natasha, who nodded. Nadia raised her eyebrows slightly, conveying as best she could that she would take care of Clint. The red head must have read the look on Nadia's face, because she offered up a wan smile of her own.

'Let's get moving then.' Thor said, jumping up into the air. Nadia did the same, flying just behind Thor. The wind whipped through her, sending a shiver down her spine. They had set the jet down in a part of the forest that was well concealed, the stealth mode activated so that it would blend into its surroundings.

Thor landed in a crouch on the forest floor, the snow undisturbed by fighting or gunfire. Nadia landed lightly in the snow, making barely a whisper of noise and setting down far more gracefully than her Asgardian friend. The ramp of the jet lowered and Thor hurried inside with Clint still in his arms. He set him down on the medical table inside and backed away, allowing Nadia to get to work.

'Could you hand me that bag there?' she asked, pointing to one that was nestled under one of the seats behind Thor. He did so silently, watching as Nadia opened up the bag and removed a bag of morphine mixed with saline solution. She hung it from the rod next to the medical bed and connected the appropriate wires.

'Help me get his jacket off?' Nadia looked at Thor and he smiled, reaching forwards to ease Clint into a semi-sitting position. He groaned loudly in pain, and Nadia worked quickly to unzip the bulletproof jacket he wore, slipping it over his arms and tossing the ruined fabric into the corner. Thor lay the archer back against the medical bed gently and Nadia yanked off Clint's gloves.

Reaching into the medical supply bag again, Nadia pulled out some fresh gauze and handed them to Thor. 'Can you change his bandages? I want to get an IV in him as soon as possible.'

'Of course.' Thor replied, gently peeling away the bandages Nadia had applied in the field. He hissed in sympathy at the wound but said nothing else. Nadia eased a needle into the vein on the back of Clint's hand, taping it to his skin so that it wouldn't move. From the corner of her eye, she watched Thor work, being incredibly gentle for such a big man.

'_We have a second enhanced. Female. Do not engage.' _Steve's warning came through their comms system and Thor met Nadia's eyes. He stepped away from the medical bed, picking up Mjolnir and stationing himself at the entrance of the jet, his shoulder set as he guarded them. Nadia continued to treat Clint as quickly as possible, mumbling words of comfort to him.

'_Guys, I got Strucker._' Steve said. Clint's grin was more of a grimace, but Nadia smiled back at her patient.

'_Yeah, I got...something bigger_.' Came Tony's ominous reply. Nadia frowned at his tone, not liking the apprehension she heard there. Clint was frowning too, which means that he heard it as well. '_Thor, I got eyes on the prize._'

The tension in Thor's shoulders lessened, and Nadia felt her own relief wash over her. They got Strucker. They got the sceptre. Their mission was over, and perhaps now, HYDRA would be gone for good too.

Nadia mulled over what that meant. For months, it was all she and the team had focussed on, it was their one common goal. Now that it had possibly been achieved, so many possibilities opened up in front of them. Thor would be returning to Asgard soon, and while the Avengers would continue to monitor for threats, their biggest adversary was defeated.

A flicker of hope opened up in Nadia's chest. She knew that Steve had needed to see the death of HYDRA before he could contemplate the next step in their lives. But what was that step? Would they move out of the tower, try and find jobs, maybe go on a vacation? She knew he would still dedicate a lot of his time trying to find Bucky, but for now, he wasn't committed to any greater cause. There was no war to fight, no other bad guy to defeat. Perhaps for the first time in months, they could just be a couple in love and spend time together that wasn't a mission.

Natasha and Bruce entered the jet first, both looking tired and weary. Bruce was shivering and promptly curled up in the corner with a blanket draped over his shoulders. He put his headphones on, and Nadia didn't disturb him, knowing he needed to settle down a little more after going into battle as the Hulk.

Natasha stood by Clint's side, taking hold of one of his hands and giving it a squeeze. Thor hovered by the entrance of the jet, turning Mjolnir over in his hands. Nadia turned towards one of the seats in the jet and sat down, sighing with relief to be off her feet. She was cold and dirty and tired. She wanted to have a hot shower, put on some comfy pyjamas and crawl into bed with Steve's arms around her.

Steve and Tony arrived ten minutes later, the sceptre clutched in Tony's gloved hand. Once inside the jet, Tony's armour opened around him and the man himself stepped out, clutching the golden sceptre. The gem glowed an eerie blue, and Nadia didn't take her eyes off it until it was securely placed into a metal casing. Tony moved about the jet, getting it ready to take off. The ramp raised and he sat in the pilot's chair, flicking switches that made the engines hum.

The jet slowly rose from the ground, the motions smooth and effortless. Flying in regular planes was ruined for Nadia after flying in a quinjet. The experience was smoother and much more pleasant. As they flew in silence, Thor stood guard over the sceptre, his expression thoughtful as he gazed down at it. Steve bent over Clint, checking his IV line and making him as comfortable as possible. Bruce still sat huddled in the corner, listening to his opera music.

Nadia sighed and leaned her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Her muscles ached from the battle and she shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. Her eyes tracked Natasha as her friend knelt in front of Bruce, who hastily removed his earphones.

'Hey, the lullaby worked better than ever.' Natasha said, her eyes kind as she looked at Bruce.

'Just wasn't expecting the Code Green.' He replied. It was true, this was supposed to be a stealth mission, but because that sentry panicked at the border, they had needed to adjust.

'If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory.' Natasha grinned at her attempted joke.

Bruce raised his eyebrows at her. 'You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear.'

Her smiled slipped off her face and was replaced with contemplation. She was examining Bruce and Nadia grimaced. When Natasha Romanoff examined you, it was like being stripped bare, all of your deeds, all your secrets laid out in the open.

Softly, she asked him, 'How long before you trust me?'

He hesitated. 'It's not you I don't trust.'

Natasha looked at him for a moment before she aimed her next question over her shoulder. 'Thor, report on the Hulk?

Thor stepped forwards, pumping his fist with a delighted grin on his face. 'The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims.'

Natasha turned an admonishing glare at Thor while Bruce dropped his head forward into his hands, letting out a groan in despair.

Realising his mistake, Thor hurried on, 'Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout.' He finished lamely.

Nadia shot a bemused look at Steve, who was trying extremely hard not to smile at the interaction.

Tony turned around in his pilot's chair. 'Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?'

'Uh, yeah, she knows her way around.'

'Thanks.'

'He's probably going to need the full treatment, Tony. Clint took a serious hit.' Nadia added, her eyes glancing towards the man lying in the hospital bed. The bleeding from his wound had slowed and the morphine had obviously kicked in, but the sooner they were back in the tower, the better.

Tony acknowledged her instructions and repeated them to JARVIS. He then set the autopilot and swung around in his chair to join his teammates. He walked past Nadia, patting her shoulder briefly as he passed before joining Thor and Steve, who were standing next to the sceptre.

'It feels good, yeah?' Tony asked, aiming his question at Thor, 'I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but...'

Thor put his hand on the glass case that contained the sceptre. 'No, but this...this brings it to a close.'

Steve uncrossed his arms and stuck his thumbs into the loops on his belt. 'As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?'

'Do we have any idea who those two were?' Nadia asked, thinking back to the blonde man she had seen on the battlefield, recalling how he had smirked at her and how her entire body had seemed to shrivel in his presence. There was something off about him, about his enhancements that made Nadia's hair stand on end.

'Maria is running facial recognition back at HQ. I sent her all the files I recovered from their computer. We should know something soon.' Tony answered and Nadia nodded. She knew that he would want her to go over whatever they found in regard to the methods of human experimentation – she was the resident expert on the subject.

Tony looked back down at the sceptre and continued, 'Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?'

Thor nodded his assent, eyes still fixed on the sceptre.

'I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying, right?'

'Yes, yes, of course.' Thor said, a genuine smile on his face now. 'A victory should be honoured with revels.'

'Yeah.' Tony agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Who doesn't love revels. Captain?'

'Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so…yes. Revels.'


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Fourteen

The quinjet made good time, flying the Avengers from Sokovia back to New York within a matter of hours. Nadia managed to keep Clint stable for the entire flight, but his morphine was starting to wear off by the time they landed at Avengers Tower. Maria Hill and Doctor Cho were waiting for them in the hangar bay, ready to get to work.

When the ramp lowered, Nadia unhooked the bag of saline solution from next to Clint's bed and held it in her hand. Two of Doctor Cho's medical assistants came on board the quinjet immediately and wheeled him out on the gurney, Natasha hot on their heels. Doctor Cho began rattling off rapid fire instructions to her assistants in Korean, all the while leading the small group towards Bruce's lab.

The regeneration laser was a crude, portable version of the regeneration cradle. It was still in the prototype phase, but Doctor Cho had been working on it for months with both Tony and Nadia, who provided insight into how to make the technology more mobile. They thought it could be useful in combat situations, where lugging around a machine that weighed half a ton was not possible.

As a team, they lifted Clint from the gurney onto the padded table next to the regeneration laser. Nadia gave him another dose of morphine while Doctor Cho carefully peeled away the bandages, assessing the damage so that she could calibrate the laser to do the right amount of repair. Nadia had been under the regeneration laser herself not two months ago, when a piece of rebar from a collapsing building they were raiding had torn a large wound over her shoulder and upper arm. Clint's wound was larger, but hers had been much deeper. After a session with the laser, there wasn't even a scar.

Nadia made Clint as comfortable as possible as the laser began to work over his abdomen, a faint whirring sound filling the room. It always amazed Nadia to watch it work, and she was no less fascinated today. Tony wandered in, looking around the lab before clapping a hand on Clint's shoulder.

'You hanging in there, man?'

'Barely. If that freaky laser doesn't kill me, I'll die of thirst.' Clint replied, his eyes unfocussed and words a little slurred. Clint always acted a little high whenever he was on pain relief, so this behaviour didn't concern Nadia.

'Can he drink anything?' Natasha asked, turning to Doctor Cho.

'There's no danger in him drinking or eating during the procedure.' She replied without looking up from where she was fiddling with the settings on the laser. She was comfortable with the endless questions the Avengers threw her way about her technology.

'I'll go grab you something then.' Tony said, leaving the lab and passing Bruce on the way. He had showered and changed since they'd landed and was now sporting a white lab coat, his glasses sitting crookedly on his nose.

Natasha squinted at Clint's wound, watching as the machine knitted his muscle and skin back together. 'You sure he's going to be okay? Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together.'

Clint stuck his tongue out at Natasha at the barb. Doctor Cho ignored this, used to their antics by now. 'There's no possibility of deterioration. The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don't know they're bonding with simulacrum.'

'She's creating tissue.' Bruce added, his face filled with glee. Nadia couldn't help grin, too. It was an amazing piece of technology, and she was getting to see and experience it firsthand.

Doctor Cho continued, 'If you brought him to my lab, the regeneration Cradle could do this in twenty minutes.'

'Oh, he's flatlining. Call it. Time?' Tony announced as he returned carrying a cardboard drinks tray. The plastic cups were filled with a startling green liquid, completed with lids and straws – no doubt one of Tony's health concoctions. He couldn't cook, but Tony knew how to make a mean smoothie.

'No, no, no. I'm going to live forever. I'm gonna be made of plastic.' Clint joked.

Tony handed Clint a smoothie. 'Here's your beverage.'

'You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton.' Doctor Cho corrected, 'Your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference.'

'Well, I don't have a girlfriend.'

'That I can't fix.' She said and Nadia snorted, shooting Tony a grin when he handed her a smoothie as well. 'This is the next thing, Tony. Your clunky metal suits are going to be left in the dust.'

'Well, that is exactly the plan. And Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Saturday.'

'Unlike you, I don't have a lot of time for parties.' She hesitated for a moment, not looking up from the chart she was examining before she asked, 'Will Thor be there?'

Smirking, Nadia shook her head, moving past both Natasha and Tony. 'If you've got everything under control here, Helen, I'm going to grab some shut eye.'

'Of course. Get some rest,' Helen said, smiling kindly.

Nadia patted Clint's shoulder on her way out of the lab, slurping on her smoothie as she went. She spotted Thor walking on the balcony with a tablet in hand as she made her way over to the elevator. Pressing the call button, she waited, more than ready for a hot shower after being awake for over twenty-four hours and trudging through the mud and snow.

Finally, the elevator arrived and she hurried inside, pressing the button for her apartment, leaning her head on the wall with her eyes closed on the descent. She'd finished her smoothie by the time she stepped into her living room, and she promptly threw the empty cup in the bin. Once she was in her room, Nadia toed off her boots and undid her belt, draping it over the back of the chair in the corner. Next, she slid her knives from her back, the blades still in the sheathes. She threw those on the chair next, followed by all the other small knives and sharp darts she kept on her person. Devoid of her weapons, Nadia made a beeline for the bathroom where she turned the hot water on in the shower. She stripped out of her dirty battle suit and stepped inside, steam and warmth greeting her. Sighing in contentment, she tipped her head back, letting the water drench her from tip to toe. She washed her hair, exfoliated her legs and spent a good three minutes just enjoying the feeling of the warm water running over her aching muscles.

Eyes closed, she heard the shower door open and close, then there were large hands on her waist. Steve's lips fell onto her bare shoulder as he held her close to him, the water cascading over them both. Smiling, she turned her head to the side and pressed a sweet kiss to his stubbly cheek, her hands sliding over his and holding them against her body.

'You okay?' She asked, spotting the bruises that mottled his skin.

'Just bumps and bruises, thankfully.' He grumbled into her shoulder, not lifting his head from where it burrowed into her neck.

'We were lucky,' she agreed, 'Facing an enemy that well equipped and organised – Clint was a best-case scenario.'

'He'll be completely healed in an hour or so.'

Nadia merely hummed in reply, enjoying being in Steve's arms to think too hard about any given subject. Slowly, he unwrapped himself from her embrace and stepped under the water, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. Nadia watched the water trail over his face, down his jaw and neck, then cut a dangerous path south over his muscled chest and abdomen. She couldn't get over how beautiful his body was. She had seen pictures of him before the serum and while he had been skinny and small, his face was still handsome and kind – that hadn't changed. However, Nadia could appreciate how fit her boyfriend was now.

Deciding that she was too tired to jump her boyfriend in her shower, she quickly exited, pulling a towel around her body. Drying off, she padded back into the bedroom and dressed in warm leggings and an old t-shirt. She collected both her uniform and Steve's, placing them into the special hamper that was collected after missions to go for dry cleaning. After brushing her hair, braiding it quickly and slathering her face in moisturiser, Nadia slipped into bed, sighing.

Steve wasn't far behind her, his sweatpants riding low on his hips as he rubbed a towel over his damp hair. She scrolled through her emails, tapping out a few replies as she waited for Steve to join her. When the bed dipped beside her, Nadia dropped her phone on the nightstand, plugging it in to charge before she snuggled into her pillow.

'You look adorable when you do that.' Steve stated, eyes darting over the paperwork he had pulled into his lap.

'I thought I was adorable all the time.' Nadia grinned, catching the way his lips twitched at her reply. 'What are you reading?'

'Information on the Maximoff twins. The two enhanced we ran into today.'

'Ah. Sounds interesting.'

'Not as interesting as the letter I got in the mail today.' He said, wriggling his eyebrows at her. Sitting up, Nadia brushed the hair out of her face and put her glasses on.

'Oh?'

'I was going through some of my stuff from the army and found recipes from war bonds I bought. I thought I would look into seeing if they're worth anything.'

'And?'

Steve handed her a piece of paper and set the reports on the side, watching her face as Nadia read the letter, her eyes widening as she reached the bottom. Sure she was mistaken, Nadia read it again and when she was finished, she looked at Steve, slack-jawed and shocked.

He grinned at her expression. 'I know.'

'Steve…you're a millionaire.' She waved the letter, 'You won't ever have to work again because of this.'

'I know.' He said, taking the letter off her gently and folding it. 'And I've been doing some thinking about what I want to do with it.'

'Put it in a bank account to collect interest?' Nadia guessed, 'That sounds like the responsible, boy scout thing to do.'

'I was never a boy scout.' Steve scowled and Nadia laughed at his indignation. 'I've actually been giving it a lot of thought, and I was thinking maybe we should take a vacation. We've dealt with HYDRA, the world is a little bit safer. It's a huge win, one we've been fighting for and I think we should celebrate it.'

'I…think that's a wonderful idea. It feels like it's been so long since we've done something like that.' It sucked to admit it, but the truth was that between missions, searching for Bucky and working with Doctor Cho, they didn't get a lot of time to spend together as a couple. The time they did get was precious and was never wasted, but now that they could put HYDRA behind them, perhaps for good, it was looking like they could focus more on their personal lives.

Steve took her hand in both of his, bringing it up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her fingers. 'I gotta be honest, I feel like I've been neglecting you. I've been so focussed on other things that I haven't been giving you the time you deserve.'

Nadia scooted closer. 'We've both been busy, Steve. The point is that we're at a place where we can step back from being Avengers and just be us for a little while.'

'I can't remember the last time we went on a proper date.' Steve said, lying down and pulling Nadia close, his arms wrapped securely around her.

She snorted. 'You mean one that didn't end with us getting called away for a mission and subsequently getting shot at?'

'That's exactly what I mean.'

Nadia propped her chin on the back of her hand, the one that rested on Steve's chest and studied his face. 'Where would we go?'

'I was thinking Paris.'

Nadia's eyebrows shot up. 'Paris?'

He shrugged. 'I haven't been to France since the war. I'd like to see it properly. We can go sightseeing, eat at some fancy restaurants where we can't pronounce the names – '

'You speak French!'

' – drink some nice wine and spend whole days lounging around in bed.' He finished as though she hadn't interrupted him. He looked down at her and smiled, the hand that was on her waist squeezing a little.

Slyly, Nadia asked, 'And what would we do in bed all day?'

Rolling on top of her, Steve grinned at her, nudging the tip of her nose with his. 'I'm sure we'll think of something.'

Giggling, Nadia kissed him, her hands twining in his hair. It was a slow kiss, unhurried and sweet. It was effortless to kiss him. They could spend hours just making out on the couch, all lips and tongues and teeth, hands roaming and tight embraces. It was simple intimacy, where they just enjoyed being with one another.

'So, when do we leave?' She gasped when they eventually came up for air.

With his lips on her neck, Steve replied, 'When would you like to leave?'

'Now. Today. Take me far, far away.' She sighed, her stomach fluttering as his teeth nipped at the sensitive skin under her jaw.

'If we leave before Tony's party, he will hunt us down and kill us.' Steve reminded her, not stopping his assault on her neck.

She groaned. 'True. Okay. So, after the party then.'

'Maybe we can start looking for that big house with the yard and picket fence we've always talked about while we're at it.'

Tugging his head up, Nadia looking at him with a mix of astonishment and hope. 'Are you serious?'

'Of course.' He reached up and brushed some of her hair from her face, eyes tenderly taking in her features. 'We only get one chance at a life together, Nadia. I don't want to waste anymore time. HYDRA is gone, my job is finally done.'

'You won't hang up the suit Steve. Not yet. Maybe not ever. We help people, it's what we do.'

'We can help people and have a life together, doll. We don't have to quit being Avengers altogether. We can ease out of it, train others to take over.'

She studied his face carefully. 'You've really thought about this, haven't you?'

'Yes.' He replied, looking puzzled that she'd even asked. 'Is it so crazy to think we can have it all? We can help others, save the world, and have that big house full of kids and life together.'

'It's not crazy,' she said, winding her fingers through his hair and feeling warmth bloom in her chest. 'It's a dream.'

'Our dream.' Steve smiled, touching his forehead to hers.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Fifteen

Tony knew how to throw a party, that was certain.

The top floor of the Avengers Tower was crowded with an odd assortment of people. There were scientists, ex-SHIELD agents, journalists and perhaps the most surprising, veterans from World War II. When Steve had politely questioned why they were invited, Tony had informed him that this was a HYDRA death-day party and those who had fought them deserved to celebrate, whether they were fighting in this century or the last.

There were waiters wandering around with hors d'oeuvres and the bar was self-serve. However, if you wanted a cocktail there was a bartender on hand. Steve couldn't get drunk, but he still grabbed a beer for both himself and Sam, who stood next to the pool table. His friend took it with a grateful smile, and they shook hands in greeting.

'How you doin', man?' Sam asked, a mischievous twinkle in his dark eyes.

'I'm alright, Sam. How are you?'

'Not too bad,' he said, looking around, 'This is all kinds of fancy, though isn't it?'

Steve shrugged, looking around the high-tech building. 'You kinda get used to it.'

Sam smirked. 'I'm sure you do.'

Steve jerked his head towards the pool table. 'Want a game?'

Sam racked up the balls and they set their beers on the edge of the pool table. People milled around them while they played, a friendly competition building between the two. Sam was an easy friend to have and Steve was thankful for it. He liked being around another soldier, someone who understood what it was like to be in war, but he also enjoyed Sam's wicked sense of humour.

A flash of white caught his eye and Steve's eyes locked on his girlfriend from across the room. She was chatting with Rhodey and Tony, a drink cradled in her hand as she laughed. She was wearing a white lace cocktail dress that fell below her knees. It was a modest design, aside from the fact that it clung to her curves dangerously. Her lips were painted red and her legs looked amazing in those nude heels.

She caught his eye from across the room, winking at him before returning to her conversation. He wanted to march over there and drag her to Paris right that moment, eager to have some time alone with her, eager to finally ask her to marry him.

'It's your turn man.' Sam's voice jolted Steve out of his musings and he cleared his throat, taking his shot and trying not to think about what was under his girlfriend's dress right that moment.

'When did you get so good at pool?' Sam demanded, suspicious.

'There was usually one in the dance halls Bucky dragged me to. The girls weren't interested in dancing, but the guys were usually good for a game or two. They didn't think they would lose against a guy they could step on, so they'd get cocky with their money.'

'Didn't take you for a gambler, Cap.'

Steve smirked. 'I'm not, usually. Just liked taking them down a notch or two when they were being assholes.'

'Oh my. That's a dollar in the swear jar.' Sam teased and Steve sighed as he watched Sam sink the eight ball into the top-left pocket.

'I'm going to kill Tony.' Steve groaned. Sam clapped a hand on his shoulder with a cheerful grin.

'Let's get another drink.' He said, shaking his empty beer bottle. Steve agreed, shrugging out of his jacket and draping it across the back of the couch.

They made their way over to the bar, where Sam ordered a whiskey and Steve grabbed another beer while they talked about the mission the Avengers had just completed. Sam was eager for details on the weapons that the soldiers had been using and whether any new information about the Winter Solider had cropped up.

'Sounds like a hell of a fight, sorry I missed it.' Sam eventually said as they climbed the stairs to the second landing.

'If I had known it was going to be a firefight, I absolutely would have called you.' Steve replied.

'No, I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough. I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case.' Sam replied, casting a heavy side-eye towards Steve. They stopped to lean on the railing, looking down on the party below. 'Avenging is your world. Your world is crazy.'

'Be it ever so humble.'

Sam took a sip of his drink. 'I hear you and the missus are going away for a while. You finally going to pop the question?'

Steve's eyes immediately sought out Nadia in the crowd, finding her quickly. It was strange, how easily he could spot her, as if his body was built to seek out hers. She was dancing with Clint, grinning as he spun her around.

'That's the plan.' He replied.

'Took you long enough.' Sam quipped.

Steve frowned. 'I've been waiting for the right moment.'

His friend snorted. 'There is no such thing. For people like us, tomorrow is no guarantee. You want my advice? Stop messing around and lock that woman in before some other guy comes along and tries to steal her away.'

'I'll keep that in mind.' Steve said. Something caught Sam's eye over Steve's shoulder, and he straightened his posture. Steve glanced over and saw a pretty girl standing with a drink in her hand, making flirty eyes at Sam.

'Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go talk to someone way better looking than you.' Sam said and Steve snorted, shaking his head as his friend walked away. He turned back to look over the railing and spotted his team milling about, smiling and drinking, celebrating a well-earned victory. He stared at Nadia for another moment, taking some time to admire the way the lights in the room danced over the gold hues in her hair. He wandered around before joining Thor where he was chatting with the war veterans, exchanging war stories.

'Captain!' Thor exclaimed happily when he spotted Steve approach. 'Come join us! I was just telling these men about the time I dressed up as a woman to get my hammer back!'

Eyebrows shooting up and a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips, Steve crossed his arms, listening as Thor recounted the tale with enthusiasm and flare. He was a great storyteller and Steve found himself laughing along.

'I gotta have some of that!' one of the veterans said, pointing to the flask that Thor had just retrieved from inside his jacket.

'Oh, no, no, no. See this, this was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men.' Thor explained, pouring the drink into two glasses and handing one to Steve.

'Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on.' Another of the veterans scoffed, gesturing for Thor to pour them a drink.

Thor looked at Steve, who shrugged slightly, his lips turning down in a what-can-you-do expression.

'Alright.' Thor sighed, not sounding too sure of his decision but pouring a few drops into glasses for the older men. Steve sniffed the drink that Thor had poured for him before taking a hesitant sip.

Warmth spread through his tongue and belly and his lips tingled pleasantly. Steve had not been drunk since before the serum, but he recognised the taste of strong liquor and this was definitely having an effect on him.

'Not bad.' Steve said, and Thor grinned at him. They watched as the veterans all took sips of the tiny amounts that Thor had given them, and the results were both concerning and hilarious. The men were all rip-roaring drunk to the point of being comatose within minutes. One of the men was frozen, staring at his hand with glassy eyes, another was singing and muttering under his breath and the others slumped in their seats, stunned by the effects of the alcohol.

Sighing, Steve and Thor had them escorted out of the party and sent home, tyring not to laugh as one of the men was frogmarched past them, muttering 'Excelsior.'

Finishing the drink and a pleasant buzz rumbling through him, Steve went in search of his lovely girlfriend. He found her chatting with Doctor Cho and Agent Hill, a flute of champagne in her hand.

'Excuse me ladies, but can I steal my girl for a dance?' He asked, slipping his hand into Nadia's free one. Agent Hill all but snatched Nadia's glass away from her and shooed them both towards the dancefloor with a pleased glint in her eye.

Soft jazz was playing from the speakers as Steve pulled Nadia close to him, the smell of her perfume engulfing him as he slid a hand to her waist and began to sway to the music. She leaned close to him, frowning slightly.

'Are you…are you drunk?' She gasped, astonished.

'No. Just a little buzzed. Thor had some Asgardian liquor that I tried. It's pretty good.' He grinned.

'Must be if it's enough to get you wasted.' She laughed. Steve spun her around and pulled her back in quickly, enjoying himself.

'I'm not wasted, believe me. I will admit that I never thought I'd miss being tipsy.'

'You are a better dancer like this.'

'Hey!' Steve protested, mock offended, but smiling when she laughed at him. Her hand slid up from his bicep to his shoulder and then round to his neck, where she curled her fingers lazily into his hair.

'I like you like this,' she admitted as they continued to sway to the music. 'Not the whole tipsy bit but the relaxed bit. You've been so tense lately, and it's nice to see you let loose and have some fun.'

'I always have fun with you.' He said, tugging her a little closer to him, their bodies pressed flush against one another. 'But I get what you mean.'

'Just think. This time tomorrow, we'll be in Paris, munching on fancy cheese and drinking wine while we look up at the stars.'

'Mmm, can't wait.' Steve hummed, brushing his lips against hers in a slow, sensual kiss. He didn't often kiss Nadia in public like this, but perhaps the booze had loosened his propensity for modesty.

When they separated, Nadia's cheeks were tinged pink and her eyes were sparkling. The song changed and they stopped swaying.

'You want another drink?'

'Sure. Just whatever you're having.' She said. Steve nodded and pressed a light kiss to her forehead before slipping away towards the bar. Natasha was behind the counter, sipping a red cocktail that looked all kinds of dangerous. Another sat on the bar in front of Banner, who was looking at Natasha, a flushed look on his face as he spoke to her. Natasha, however seemed very calm as she flirted with Banner, but Steve saw something real in her eyes when she looked at the scientist. This was more than Nat having some fun – there was real affection there. Nadia had been hinting that there was something going on between the two of them, but now Steve saw it with his own eyes he could easily believe it.

'It's nice.' Steve said. Banner jumped like he'd been caught doing something naughty.

'What, what, what is?' he stammered.

'You and Romanoff.' Steve clarified, leaning over the bar and grabbing two beers.

'No, we haven't. That wasn't...'

Steve grinned, suspicions confirmed. 'It's okay. Nobody's breaking any by-laws. It's just, she's not the most... _open _person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed.'

'No, Natasha, she...she likes to flirt.' Bruce replied, licking his lips.

'I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that.' Steve paused as he considered his next words. 'Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on _waiting too long_…don't. You both deserve a win.'

Steve walked back towards his girl, where she now sat on the sofa surrounded by the collection of lounge chairs and couches that made up the living room.

'Wait, what do you mean, "up close"?' Bruce called out after Steve. He didn't answer, content to let the scientist figure this one out on his own.

He handed Nadia her beer and sat down with her, slinging his arm over the back of the couch as they talked. They slipped into easy conversation while the party milled around them. Sam came over after a while to speak to them both, mercilessly teasing Steve and lightly flirting with Nadia, if only to see the way her cheeks flushed, and the way Steve's arm tightened around her. When the girl he had been speaking to earlier came up to him and asked if he wanted to leave, Sam had hopped up enthusiastically, shooting a devilish wink at Steve that left no doubts as to what the couple were going to be up to that night.

When it was just the two of them again, Steve and Nadia made plans for Paris, what they were going to do once they came back, what kind of houses they were interested in purchasing. They talked like they hadn't had the opportunity to in a while, and it made Steve smile so widely his cheeks hurt. They had so many things to look forward to and Steve couldn't wait to experience them all with her.

As the party wound down and all the guests left, the rest of the Avengers gathered in the living room, sprawling across the couches. Steve offered his jacket to Hill, who had grown cold and Doctor Cho had fallen asleep in one of the lounge chairs. Nadia had kicked off her heels and let her hair out of the knot she'd twisted it in. Clint was twirling drumsticks around in his fingers while his eyes took in every detail of the room. Natasha and Bruce chatted quietly, their head bent close to one another.

'All I'm saying is,' Tony held up his hands, 'if the multi-universe theory is true, then there's a universe where it isn't.'

'The multiverse theory doesn't cover paradoxical situations.' Bruce piped up, turning his attention to the conversation.

Tony pointed a finger at Bruce. 'Except in the universe where it does.'

'Is this what an aneurysm feels like?' Rhodey asked Nadia, who burst out laughing.

'You know what gives me a headache?' Clint said before pointing at Mjolnir, which sat innocently on the table. 'That thing.'

'My hammer confuses you?' Thor smirked down at Clint, who was sitting on the floor next to Hill.

'What confuses me is how the hell only you can lift it. I keep thinking it's magic, but this is reality to it's gotta be a trick.'

'After everything we've seen, Clint, you don't believe in magic?' Nadia teased, the edge of her dress hiking up a little to reveal the little holster that was strapped to her thigh, a knife nestled in the sheath.

'I believe in magic, but it's a trick!' He insisted.

'Oh, no. It's much more than that.' Thor replied, taking out the small silver flask from his jacket and passing it to Steve wordlessly. Nadia raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she watched him take a generous swig from the flask before handing it back to Thor.

'Uh, "Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!"' Clint mocked, deepening his voice in a lame imitation of Thor. 'Whatever man! It's a trick.'

Thor gestured to Mjolnir. 'Well please, be my guest.'

The room went silent, everyone's interest now on this exchange. Thor had never let them try this before, had never offered to let them lift Mjolnir.

Tony turned to Clint expectantly. 'Come on.'

'Really?' Clint asked. Nadia leaned back against the couch, sipping her beer, her warmth seeping into Steve's side.

'Yeah!'

Clint got to his feet and anticipation fell over the room like a heavy blanket. Steve looked around and wondered if any of them would be able to lift it. What made somebody worthy, anyway?

'Oh, this is gonna be beautiful.' Rhodey snarked.

'Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up.' Tony said and everyone laughed.

'You know I've seen this before, right?' Clint said. He grabbed Thor's hammer and pulled, his face strained with the effort. After a couple of tries, he sighed and let go with a bemused chuckle. 'I still don't know how you do it.'

'Smell the silent judgment?' Tony quipped.

'Please, Stark. By all means.'

Tony got to his feet and unbuttoned his suit jacket.

'Oh, here we go.' Natasha mumbled

'Okay.' Hill grinned. Nadia crossed her arms.

Rhodey grimaced. 'Uh-oh.'

Clint hummed. 'Um-hmm.'

Tony sauntered forwards. 'Never one to shrink from an honest challenge.'

'Get after it.' Clint droned as he passed the billionaire before sitting down.

'Here we go.' Natasha repeated, and Steve saw the amusement in her eyes.

'It's physics.' Tony said, slipping his hand through the leather strap at the end of Mjolnir's handle.

'Physics!' Bruce repeated while Nadia snorted with derision.

Tony grasped the handle with both hands and turned to Thor, 'Right, so, if I lift it, I... I then rule Asgard?'

'Yes, of course.' The Asgardian replied pleasantly. Steve leaned forward and put his elbow on his knee and his hand over his mouth to hide the delighted grin on his face.

Tony looked around at the group and put a knee up on the table, bracing to lift the hammer. 'I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta.'

Nadia flicked a handful of peanuts at his head, which Tony dodged as he attempted to lift the hammer – it didn't budge. He looked at the hammer and slipped his hand from out the strap.

'I'll be right back.' He said before slipping from the room and racing up the stairs to the lab. Steve shook his head, turning to look at Nadia, who was wearing an equally amused look. Doctor Cho sat up in her chair, now fully awake and watching with interest.

'What's Prima Nocta?' he asked quietly, and her grin slipped into a grimace.

'I'll tell you later.' She said.

'Right!' Tony cried, coming back into the room, fresh determination on his face… and his Iron Man gauntlet encasing his left arm and hand. 'Let's try this again.'

'Tony, give it up man.' Clint droned. Rhodey got up from his seat, wandering off with a shake of his head.

'No, no, no, you had your turn, Robin Hood. It's my time now.' Tony sassed. Clint held his hands up in defence, and Tony tried to pull the hammer again, engaging his flight thrusters to try and get the hammer off the ground. This time nobody held back their laughter at his failure.

'Alright, enough. Let a man have a go at this.' Rhodey said, walking around the table to stand at Tony's side. On his right arm was his own War Machine gauntlet. Rhodey attempted to lift the hammer, but once again it remained resolute and still.

'Together then?' Tony suggested, and the two each took a firm grip on Mjolnir's handle, their flight thrusters trying to aid them in their endeavour to lift Thor's hammer.

Panting, Rhodey turned to Tony, 'Are you even pulling?'

'Are you on my team?' Tony asked.

'Just represent! Pull!'

'Alright, let's go!'

They both tried to get the hammer to move, but nothing they did worked. After exhausting every avenue, they both admitted defeat, much to Thor's delight. They both stood huffily, taking drags from their beers and glaring at the offending hammer.

'Bruce?' Nadia asked, and the scientist got to his feet reluctantly, rubbing his hands together. Steve would never admit to finding the whole thing entertaining as hell, but watching his teammates attempt the impossible was amusing.

Bruce braced both feet on the coffee table as he crouched to pick the hammer up in both hands, straining and roaring as if he was trying to change into the Hulk. He stumbled back, arms outstretched, and everyone stared at him warily. Natasha sent him a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Sensing his joke was ill-timed, Bruce went to sit down. Cap looked over at Thor with a challenging smirk and got to his feet. He didn't see why he couldn't have some fun too.

'Whoo!' Hill whooped and Nadia clapped a couple times. Steve rolled up his sleeves a little more and assessed the hammer in front of him.

'Let's go, Steve, no pressure.' Tony said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

'Come on, Cap.' Clint encouraged.

Steve braced his hands on the handle of Mjolnir and felt a tingle travel up his hands and over his fingers. Taking a breath, he gripped the handle and lifted the tiniest bit, pretending he was simply adjusting his grip – Mjolnir lightened under his hands, and he knew if he wanted, he could lift the hammer off the table. Surprised, but not wanting to disappoint Thor, Steve pretended to lift the hammer for real this time. It still budged, making an audible squeaking sound and Steve saw Thor's expression fall into one of shock and alarm. Relaxing his hands, he pretended to lift again, huffing a little sigh of disappointment before holding his hands up in defeat.

Thor chuckled nervously, his smile back on his face but suspicion in his eyes. 'Nothing.'

Steve sat back down next to Nadia, who was staring at him curiously, her eyes narrowed. He leaned forwards, feeling nervous. 'What?'

'I saw that.' Was all she said in reply, but it was enough. Nadia knew him better than anyone, and if she had seen him hesitate to lift the hammer, then she also knew why he hadn't let Thor know he could do it.

'Saw what?' he feigned innocence.

Her left eyebrow rose, and her red lips pursed. 'You know.'

Steve grinned at her cheekily.

Tony cleared his voice, 'And?'

Bruce gestured grandly to Natasha. 'Widow?'

Natasha shook her head and leaned back on the couch, 'Oh, no no. That's not a question I need answered.' She smirked, taking a sip of her beer.

All eyes turned to Nadia, who was still giving Steve a calculating look. She shook her head, sensing their gazes on her. 'Don't look at me boys. I already know the answer.'

'All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged.' Tony decided.

'You bet your ass.' Clint said, patting Tony's shoulder in agreement as he passed.

'Steve, he said a bad language word.' Hill said, pointing at Clint with an accusing finger. Nadia laughed loudly at Steve's face.

Steve turned to Tony, 'Did you tell everyone about that?'

Tony ignored him. 'The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. "Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints" is, I think, the literal translation?'

'Yes, well that's, uh, that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one.' Thor said, getting up from his seat and lifting the hammer easily, even going so far as to flip it in the air. 'You're all not worthy.'

There was a chorus of disagreement from everyone, quite a few eyerolls and chuckles at Thor's good humour. Nadia got to her feet and stretched beside Steve while he shook his head at Thor's jab.

A loud screeching noise echoed through the room, causing everyone to cover their ears. Steve grit his teeth and winced at the sound, his enhanced hearing making the noise ten times worse. It faded as quickly as it came, and they let their hands down. Tony whipped out a clear tablet from his back pocket, looking for the cause of the disturbance.

'Wooooorthyyyyyy...'

A heavy clanking sound came from the other side of the room, and everyone turned towards it curiously. One of Tony's legionnaire robots stumbled into the light, wires and metal panels hanging precariously as though it had been hastily assembled.

'No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers.' The robot pointed an accusing finger at all of them. The voice that spoke was male and metallic, tinged with anger and arrogance. It was not JARVIS talking, and that immediately alarmed them all.

Steve got to his feet, angling his body to shield Nadia from this threat. He saw her glance up at him, but he didn't take his eyes off the danger in front of him.

'Stark.' He growled.

'JARVIS –'

'I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or...I was a dream?' the legionnaire kept talking, shaking its head and looking around in contemplation. The way the robot moved was more human than anything Steve had ever seen, and his stomach churned at the sight.

Tony tapped his tablet. 'Reboot, Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit.'

'There was a terrible noise...and I was tangled in... in...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy.'

Alarm bells rang in Steve's head. 'You killed someone?'

'Wouldn't have been my first call.' The robot admitted and then all but sneered, 'But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices.'

Thor faced off with the robot, all good humour gone as he held his hammer in his hand. 'Who sent you?'

There was a scratching sound, like a tape being rewound and then Tony's voice replayed through the legionnaire suit in front of them, "_I see a suit of armour around the world._"

Bruce looked over at Tony, who stood like stone and gasped, 'Ultron!'

'In the flesh.' The robot hesitated and then corrected itself, 'Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission.'

Steve saw Nadia slip her hand under the hem of her dress, pulling out the knife she had stashed there.

Natasha dared ask, 'What mission?'

Ultron's face turned towards them all and Steve's neck prickled with foreboding.

'Peace in our time.'

The walls next to Ultron exploded and the Iron Legion robots flew towards them all in attack mode. Hill and Nadia threw themselves onto the floor as one flew directly at them. Steve kicked up the table in front of them and used it to shield himself from the direct impact of one of the robots, but the force of the attack sent him flying over the couches, landing hard on his back with glass and wood shattering all over him.

The familiar whirring sound of energy shots firing from the legionnaire robots reached Steve and he immediately got back up, taking in the room before him as glass shattered and flew in every direction. Thor had knocked one of the robots away with his hammer while Tony and Rhodey slipped over the glass barrier, eager to get to their own suits and arm themselves. They were ambushed though, when Tony was shot at and went flying through a bookshelf, and Rhodey was propelled through the glass wall and fell into the quinjet hangar. Clint slid under one of the tables and he saw Natasha and Bruce dive for cover over the bar.

Frantic, he looked around, trying to find Nadia, and he spotted her standing next to Helen Cho, a long knife in one hand as she fired a gun with the other, aiming for a legionnaire robot that was firing at them from where they took cover behind the piano.

Natasha got her hands on a gun and started firing from behind the bar, her bullets pinging off the robot's metal body. Springing into action, Steve raced forwards and launched himself at the robot, clutching onto it as it tried to throw him off. He punched it, trying to rip it's head off, but the robot put the thrusters into reverse and slammed Steve into the wall. Pain ripped through his spine at the impact, a loud grunt leaving his lips. The robot twisted out of Steve's grip and threw him onto the floor, the air rushing from his lungs at the impact as plaster dust and debris rained over him.

The robot bore down on him, arm raised to fire and eyes glowing menacingly. Suddenly, a knife lodged itself into the very centre of the robot's chest, the arc reactor there crushed, and the robot crashed to the ground, disabled. Steve rolled onto his side and saw Nadia standing protectively in front of Doctor Cho who cowered behind the piano. She sent him a smile before dashing off, skipping briskly over the broken glass on the floor and racing up the stairs firing her gun as she went.

Looking up, Steve saw Tony on the back of another of the legionnaire's, with what looked like a fork in his hand.

'Stark!' He yelled, wondering why Tony didn't just shut the robots down through JARVIS, anger building in his chest at his resentment of modern technology.

'One sec, one sec!' Tony called back, grunting as he jammed the fork down into the exposed wiring of the Iron Legion robot. It fell with Tony still on its back, the genius sliding over the broken glass on the floor on impact.

Thor crushed the robot that bore down on Helen and caved its chest in with a swing of his hammer. That left one robot left, and Steve raced towards it.

'Cap!' Clint shouted, throwing Steve's shield towards him. Steve caught the shield in mid-air and spun, using his momentum to readjust his aim towards the remaining robot. The legionnaire crumpled under the impact and fell to the floor.

'That was dramatic!' Ultron cried. Nadia jumped down from the second floor, landing lightly in front of Steve, her hands held aloft and ready to use her powers if needed. They stepped closer to Ultron, panting from their fight as they watched in a mix of shock and horror at the foe that stood before them

Ultron paced in front of them. 'I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve?'

Ultron's electric gaze fixed on Nadia, and every eye in the room swivelled to look at her before turning back to Ultron, who had bent town to pick up one of the dismembered Iron Legion's heads.

'With these? These puppets?' he mocked, crushing the helmet in his hands. 'There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction.'

Thor threw his hammer with a snarl, Ultron flying back into the wall with the impact and shattering into pieces. Mjolnir flew back into Thor's waiting hand and Steve looked at his friend and then down at his girlfriend, who looked remarkably pale.

'I had strings, but now I'm free…' The lights in Ultron's eyes flickered before finally going out.


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N – Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed!**

**I would like to take this time to acknowledge the terrible loss of Chadwick Boseman. Some people may say he was only an actor, but he was much more – he was an inspiration to millions of young people around the world. He was hardworking, generous and compassionate, qualities that should be celebrated and honoured. I hope that he is at peace now. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Sixteen

'The sceptre is gone!' Bruce called down from the second landing, Natasha standing next to him.

'We need to go after it!' Thor all but growled, stalking towards the balcony. Beside Steve, Nadia nodded her agreement, her eyes still fixed on the remains of Ultron's body.

'I'm coming with you.' She said, and the Asgardian merely nodded. Steve stopped her quickly with a hand on her arm. She gave him a sad smile, no doubt reading the worry in his eyes and she touched his cheek softly. 'I'll be fine. We'll be back soon.'

'Watch your backs.' Was all he said in reply, his throat tight as he watched her walk away from him, towards the balcony. Her feet were cut up from walking on broken glass, blood and dust staining her previously immaculate white dress. This wasn't the way the night was supposed to go – they were supposed to finish having drinks with their friends, head back to their room and make love the way he'd been fantasising about since he'd seen how wonderful she looked in red lipstick. They were supposed to leave in the morning and board a plane for Paris, where he would finally propose to her, present her with the ring he'd painstakingly picked out and secure their future together.

Yet there she was, leaping off the balcony with Thor and flying off into the night with a rumble of thunder. And there Steve stood, in a destroyed living room with another world ending problem before him.

This wasn't how the night was meant to go.

'We should get to the lab,' Tony said, his face surprisingly blank. 'Find out what went wrong.'

He didn't wait for anyone, whisking away quickly towards the lab. Steve sighed, going over to where Hill was standing, her feet bleeding too. Scooping her up quickly despite her protests, and marched into the lab where Bruce and Tony were already working. He sat her down in one of the rolling desk chairs and she gave him a small smile.

Rhodey staggered in a few moments later, eyes wild, his jacket torn and clutching his arm. Steve nodded at the colonel and the older man jerked his chin in response. Natasha swept into the room soon after, dressed in leggings and a hoodie and sat down at one of the computers, her fingers typing furiously.

Helen Cho came in a little while later with Clint, who dropped one of the robot's remains on the far table, sparing it a withering look before retreating to higher ground, his sharp blue eyes watching his team as they worked.

'Is someone going to explain to me what the hell Ultron even is?' Rhodey demanded, his question ringing through the silent room like a gunshot. Steve crossed his arms, clenching his jaw and waiting.

It was Bruce who answered, wringing his hands nervously. 'Ultron was an idea that Tony came up with a few years ago after the invasion of New York. He's an artificial intelligence peacekeeping program we created using the decrypted code derived from the gem encased within Loki's sceptre.'

'Why? Why would you build something like that?'

'We built him,' Tony said, not looking up from his work, 'to protect Earth from any and all domestic and extra-terrestrial threats.'

'Isn't that our job?' Clint snarked, bracing his hands against the railing in front of him.

'But we won't always be here, will we?' Tony's voice was cold, colder than Steve had ever heard it and the anger simmering in his chest grew to a boil. Tony swept past them all to the table that the Iron Legion robot was resting on, pressing his hands to the table and staring down at it.

Steve shook his head and grit his teeth, turning to grab a first aid kit and marching over to Hill, handing it to her. She accepted it with a small smile and started tending to her cut feet. Steve then handed an ice pack to Rhodey, who held it against his shoulder. Steve did all this in silence, not wanting Nadia to return and go nuclear when she found out her teammates hadn't received proper medical care.

He wondered where she was, how far she had flown with Thor to track down the legionnaire and recover the stolen sceptre. They had literally had it for less than a week before it had been stolen by someone else. The thought made a muscle in Steve's jaw clench.

This whole situation reeked of familiarity for him. This was the same thing that SHIELD had been trying to do with the helicarriers, protect people from threats that didn't exist yet and that technology had been hijacked for a much more sinister purpose. The same thing was happening now, only Tony and Bruce were the instigators of this disaster, not the nameless, faceless World Security Council. He felt like history was repeating itself and Steve grit his teeth, unused to feeling such anger.

'All our work is gone.' Bruce finally said, 'Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch.'

Steve shook his head and was unable to keep the disgust out of this voice at the name. 'Ultron.'

Natasha turned around from her desk, crossing her arms with a frown on her face. 'He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other.'

Rhodey paced the room, still clutching the ice pack to his arm. 'He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?'

Hill realised at the same time the rest of them did. 'Nuclear codes.'

'Nuclear codes.' Rhodey confirmed. 'Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can.'

'Nukes? He said he wanted us dead.' Natasha reminded them.

Lead settled in Steve's stomach at the reminder that his friends had been threatened. 'He didn't say dead. He said extinct.'

'He also said he killed somebody.' Clint added.

Hill looked up, tweezers held aloft from where she was picking shards of glass out of her wounds. 'But there wasn't anyone else in the building.'

Tony stepped forwards, into the empty space in the middle of the lab. 'Yes, there was.'

He flicked his wrist with the tablet in his hand and 3D image of JARVIS' consciousness popped up in the middle of the room. Steve frowned at the image, noting that it was fractured and destroyed, like someone had taken a sledgehammer to the AI's programming.

Tony stepped to the side, a grim expression on his face as Bruce stepped forward, shock written clearly on his face as he stared down at the hologram.

'This is insane,' the scientist breathed. Steve hung his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

'JARVIS was the first line of defence. He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense.' He said bleakly. And it did make sense. The strategist in Steve would have done the same thing and he saw the move for what it was – a declaration of war.

Bruce frowned and shook his head. 'No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is...rage.'

Heavy footsteps filled the lab and everyone turned towards the sound. Thor stomped into the room, scarlet cape fluttering behind him and thunder written across his face as he stormed towards Tony and grabbed him by his throat, lifting him into the air.

'It's going around.' Clint remarked.

'Woah, woah, woah!' Rhodey protested.

Tony managed to choke out, 'Come on. Use your words, buddy.'

Thor sneered at the man he had in his grip. 'I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark.' He replied angrily. Nadia appeared at Thor's elbow suddenly, her hair a mess from flying in the wind and her skin pale from the cold.

Steve hurried forwards, relief filling him at seeing Nadia unharmed, but anxiety gripping him when he saw they were empty-handed. 'Thor! The Legionnaire.'

Thor dropped Tony, who stumbled backwards away from the angry demi-god. 'Trail went cold about a hundred miles out but it's headed north, and it has the sceptre. Now we have to retrieve it, again.'

Steve glanced at Nadia who shook her head slowly. He noticed her lipstick had rubbed off and that her lips were now tinged blue.

'The genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron.' Natasha said.

'I don't understand.' Helen said and all eyes turned to her, but she was looking at Tony, who moved further away from Thor and towards the computer he had been working at. 'You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?'

The attention in the room swivelled from Doctor Cho to Tony, who had his back to the room. Steve's eyebrows rose when he started laughing, and Bruce subtly shaking his head at him to get him to stop.

Thor pointed an accusing finger at Tony. 'You think this is funny?' He asked in disbelief.

Tony turned towards Thor, still giggling a little. 'No. It's probably not, right?' Tony looked around the room for confirmation before continuing, 'Is this very terrible? Is it so...is it so...it is. It's so terrible.'

'This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand.' Thor stated, and a small part of Steve agreed with him.

Tony interrupted him though. 'No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It is funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this.'

'Tony, maybe this might not be the time to...' Bruce began hesitantly.

Tony swung around. 'Really?! That's it? You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls.'

Bruce raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. 'Only when I've created a murder bot.'

Tony spread his arms, 'We didn't. We weren't even close. Were we close to an interface?'

Bruce shook his head, dismissing Tony's argument.

Steve stepped forwards and uncrossed his arms, his anger coming to light. 'Well, you did something right. And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD –'

'Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?' Tony interrupted.

'No, it's never come up.' Rhodey replied sarcastically.

'Saved New York?'

'Never heard that.'

'Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it.' Tony looked around at the people gathered in the lab. 'We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but…that up there?' he pointed to the ceiling. 'That's...that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?'

Steve replied instantly. 'Together.'

He saw the flash of fear in Tony's eyes before he replied, 'We'll lose.'

However, Steve didn't flinch. 'Then we'll do that together, too.'

Tony looked at him for a moment before turning away.

'Thor's right. Ultron's calling us out. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place. Let's start making it smaller.' Steve ordered and the team got to the work. Nadia glanced at Tony before she made a hasty exit, bloody footprints left on the floor in her wake.

He hurried after her, following her footsteps down to their apartment where she had perched herself on top of the bathroom counter, a first aid kit open next to her. Her hands were shaking and she was shivering, her lips trembling with cold.

'Doll, you're freezing.' He said, crouching in front of her and putting his hands on her upper arms. Blood dripped onto his pants from the wounds on her legs and feet.

She shrugged. 'I'll be alright. A hot shower and some band-aids and I'll be good to go.'

Steve sighed at her stubbornness. She was always eager to encourage others to look after themselves, but when it came to her own wellbeing she didn't even register. Turning around, he switched the faucet in the bathtub on and put the plug in the drain. He carefully lifted her off the counter, turning her around.

'What are you doing?' she asked as he swept her hair over her shoulder to expose the zip on her dress. His mouth twisted, thinking that this was not how he imagined he would be getting her naked that night.

'Multitasking. You get in the tub and warm up, I'll take care of your feet.' He explained. Nadia nodded, her body shaking with another violent shiver as the dress fell to the floor. She quickly unstrapped the thigh holster that had housed her knife from before and slipped out of her underwear while Steve checked the temperature on the water that filled the tub. She sank into its heat with a sigh of bliss.

Her feet hung over the edge of the tub, and Steve dragged the small stool that they usually placed their towels on closer before sitting on it and picking up the first aid kit.

'What happened while I was gone?' she asked, her eyes sweeping over his face.

'We don't have any leads. Ultron wiped our systems of any traces.' Steve replied, tweezers in hand as he plucked small pieces of glass from in between her toes and out of gashes.

'I can't believe this is happening.' She sighed, shaking her head.

'Well, that's Tony for you.'

Nadia frowned at the bitterness in his voice and Steve felt his fury from earlier returning. His hands remained gentle, though as he set aside the tweezers and started dabbing antiseptic cream on her cuts.

'I doubt he meant to do this, Steve.'

'That's not what bothers me, Nadia. It's that he did it at all. He created a program to prevent threats against humanity, the same way SHIELD did when they created those helicarriers. Millions of people could have died because that technology was hacked and turned into a global extermination tool.'

'His intentions were good.'

Steve's patience snapped and he dragged a hand through his hair. 'That's not the point! His fear and arrogance clouded his judgement and now here we are, threatened by something he created to protect us. And protect us from what, I ask you? An enemy that doesn't even exist!'

Nadia tilted her head to the side, studying him with an unwavering gaze. 'That's not what bothers you Steve. Not really.'

'Oh?' he muttered, peeling open band-aids.

'He didn't tell you about his fears and because of that, he created something that now threatens the people you love. His betrayal stings you the most and that's what this is in your eyes. A betrayal.'

Steve's sharp gaze met her calm, cool one. 'How are you not angry about this?'

'I _am_ angry, Steve. I'm angry that we have to risk our lives to clean up the mess Tony has made. He has created something horrible, has made a decision that affects us all and is claiming that it was for our own good and that makes me furious. He usually learns from his mistakes and he admitted that what SHIELD did was a mistake, yet he's done the exact same thing.'

'Then why are you defending him?'

'Because I can't help but wonder _why_ he did this. Why would he take such a risk and why now? The only answer I can come up with is that Tony is afraid.'

Steve sighed, dropping his head into his hands. He had always known that Nadia was smarter than him, but it was times like this that he was reminded of that fact. He had been so caught up what Tony had done and how it would affect the team, that he hadn't even stopped to consider why. The truth was that if Tony was afraid of something, then they should all be wary.

'What do you think he's afraid of?'

Water sloshed as Nadia moved closer to him and put a hand on his cheek. Her skin was significantly warmer than before and there was colour back in her lips and face. He covered her hand with his own, fingers intertwining.

'I don't know, and I don't think he'll tell us. For now, we focus on Ultron. Then we figure out the rest.'

A small smile twitched at his lips. 'I love you.'

Her eyes softened and she leaned forwards, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 'I love you too.'

'I'm sorry we won't be able to go to Paris like I promised.' He apologised and he meant it. He had been so excited, so eager to begin the journey towards making her his wife. But that had been put on hold because of Tony's penchant for playing with things that he shouldn't.

'We can go after all this is taken care of.' Nadia said easily. She leaned forward and their lips met in an easy kiss, one they had shared a thousand times. Eventually they pulled away from one another their breathing a little heavier. 'But for now, soldier, we have to go to work.'

X

The sun was coming up when they separated to get to work. Steve had pulled on his battle suit pants and boots along with a blue bulletproof undershirt. Nadia had decided to follow his lead, pulling on her jumpsuit and tying the top half around her waist, her own green undershirt on. They had joined the team, where tasks were assigned and they all got to work. Doctor Cho departed for her lab in South Korea, where it was decided she would be safer. Rhodey left for the Pentagon to appraise the military of the current situation. It was no secret that while he was an Avenger, he was also part of the US military. This was a point of tension within the team, as they all knew that Rhodey reported on the Avengers to his superiors. What he told them and how often was unknown, and nobody brought it up. It was an unspoken agreement among everyone.

Tony and Bruce got to work on dissecting their operations in creating Ultron to see if they could pinpoint where they went wrong. They theorised that maybe it could lead them to a way of stopping him. Hill had contacted the media and released a statement on the current situation before returning to the Tower, where she immediately got to work on trying to pinpoint any activity that could lead them to a possible location on Ultron.

Thor went up to the roof, trying to speak to Heimdall, the gatekeeper to Asgard and his best friend. He had the gift of sight and was able to observe things across the universe and so could provide them with the answers they so desperately needed.

Natasha and Nadia were both working through their contacts, both shady and legit to put the word out on Ultron and possibly gain some intel. Natasha was typing away at her computer furiously, a cell phone jammed between her ear and shoulder while she worked. Nadia only had one more call to make, and she stepped outside to do it.

The phone rang twice before he picked up. 'Nadia?'

'Hey Josef.' She sighed in relief, glad he'd been able to answer.

'What the hell is going on?' he demanded.

She frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'There is this…thing. This hacker that is attacking all kind of intelligence across the world. I was hoping you'd know who it is so that you can point my gun in the right direction.'

'Your gun won't do you any good, brother. This isn't just any hacker.' Nadia pinched the bridge of her nose and explained the situation. The creation of Ultron, his abilities and that he wanted to destroy the Avengers. Josef just listened in silence while she talked and when she was finished, the only sound that came through the line was his breathing.

'He threatened you?' Josef all but growled.

'I'm fine, Josef. Steve is watching my back and I'm currently in the most secure building on the planet. I just wanted to warn you so that you can do your thing and protect people from this lunatic.'

'Thanks for the heads up, sis. Do you want me to come down there?'

Nadia smiled at his offer. 'No. You're of more use wherever you are. If you could put some feelers out though, any information right now is more than we've got.'

'If I hear anything I'll let you know. Watch your back, Nadia.'

'You too.'

She hung up and tucked the cellphone back into her pocket, making her way back inside. Natasha sat in the small meeting room just outside the lab, still perched in front of her computer. Tony and Bruce had joined her, both working away at something. Nadia spotted Rhodey's face on the screen and came over to see him.

'We're getting access tonight on all basic information streams.' Natasha told him, taking a sip of the black coffee in her mug.

'Yeah, well you guys are definitely off the Pentagon's Christmas list.' Rhodey replied. 'Every country with a nuke is fighting a cyber attack. War Machine is being deployed to the Middle East in case certain people start blaming each other instead of you.'

Tony peered over Natasha's other shoulder and held up a programming disk. 'Yeah, well hold that thought. Let me overnight you a new encryption drive for your suit in case Ultron wants in.'

'You got it. Thanks.' Rhodey's face softened in gratitude.

'You hear something, we need to hear it too.' Natasha added.

'That goes both ways. Watch your six.'

'You too.'

Natasha ended the call at the same time Thor and Steve came into the room. Thor sported a troubled look on his face and Steve was carrying a tablet.

'Any help from on high?' Steve asked and Nadia glanced at Thor.

'Heimdall is either away from his post or has been ordered not to answer.' Thor replied, frustration lacing his tone. 'But Ultron can't hide forever. We'll find him.'

Steve and Thor joined Natasha, Nadia and Tony at the desk, tension in the air at the seriousness of the situation. Steve handed the tablet to Thor.

'Well, he's not exactly hiding.' Steve said grimly. Thor studied the screen in a way that made Nadia's blood run cold.

'What's this?' Tony asked, and Thor slapped the tablet against his chest, clearly still angry with him.

'A message.' Steve replied, crossing his arms. 'Ultron killed Strucker.'

'What a shame.' Nadia droned sarcastically.

'And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us.' Tony added and Bruce wandered over, glancing over Tony's shoulder to peer at the photo on the screen.

Natasha took the tablet from Tony and studied the photo. Nadia could see it from where she was standing and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Strucker's face was a bloody mess, his body propped up against the wall of a prison cell, where the word PEACE had been written in what looked like Strucker's own blood.

'This is good.' Natasha said, sounding optimistic. Bruce shot her a bewildered look.

'No, this is not good.' He contradicted.

'He's showing us his hand.' Nadia nodded, catching on to Natasha's logic.

'This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?' Natasha elaborated.

Steve nodded along. 'Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss.'

Natasha started typing, eyes darting across the screen. 'Yeah, I bet he...Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased.'

'Not everything.' Tony said, sounding awfully smug. 'I managed to salvage a bunch of paper files and records that SHIELD had after it collapsed. I guarantee there is something on Strucker in there.'

'Where are these files?' Nadia asked.

'In the basement.'

As one, they all hurried down to the basement, pulling box upon box from the storage section that was marked with Strucker's name. They hauled the information back up to the meeting room and began tearing through the information, dividing up the boxes between the seven of them.

'Known associates. Well, Strucker had a lot of friends.' Steve murmured as he sorted through his box.

'Well, these people are all horrible.' Bruce remarked. Nadia sighed, throwing down the file in her hand.

'Wait. I know that guy.' Tony said, and Nadia looked up to see him pointing at the file in Bruce's hand. Tony leaned over and slipped the photo from the file to take a closer look. 'From back in the day. He operates off the African coast, black market arms.'

Tony looked up just in time to see Steve give him an accusing look. Tony rolled his eyes and passed the photo to Nadia, who didn't recognise the man and so passed it to Thor. 'There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything. He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very "Ahab."'

Thor pointed to a mark on the back of Ulysses Klaue's neck. 'This.'

Tony frowned at the picture. 'Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it...'

Thor shook his head. 'No, those are tattoos, this is a brand.'

'Who brands people these days?' Nadia wondered, taking the photo back and taking a closer look. 'It looks like it's healed well. I'd say it happened a while ago.'

'Can we find out where this symbol comes from?' Steve asked, looking at Tony.

'It's probably either South American or African in origin.' Nadia said, peering at the brand closer. 'Most European countries use alphabets that are either Latin or Slavic based. This is more pictographic which is common amongst older cultures.'

Everyone stared at her. She blinked around at them, feeling self-conscious. 'What?' she asked.

'How do you know stuff like that?' Clint wondered. She just shrugged and passed the photo to Tony, who took it and wandered towards his computer. He scanned the image and brought up a recognition program to run a trace on the symbol.

Bruce sat down at the computer while the program ran and the rest of the team continued looking through the files. Steve sidled up to Nadia but she didn't look up from what she was doing.

'Sometimes, I forget that you're a genius.' He admitted softly, not offence intended in his words.

'Well nobody's perfect, soldier.' She replied teasingly. He grinned at her.

Suddenly the computer chirped and their attention was drawn back to the present. Bruce nodded.

'Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way.'

'What dialect?' Steve asked.

'Wakanada...? Wa...Wa...Wakanda.'

Steve and Tony looked at each other sharply and Nadia turned around, her eyes fixing on Steve's shield, which leaned harmlessly against the drawers there.

'If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods...' Tony began.

'I thought your father said he got the last of it?' Steve wondered.

'I don't follow.' Bruce said. 'What comes out of Wakanda?'

They all turned to see Nadia holding Steve's shield in her hands, her lips pursed.

'The strongest metal on earth.' Tony answered Bruce's question.

Steve leaned closer to Tony. 'Where is this guy now?'


	17. Chapter 17

**A.N - Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed. Please don't forget to leave a comment!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Seventeen

With their combined contacts, it didn't take the team long to find Ulysses Klaue. He still operated off the African coast, just like Tony said, and apparently Klaue was using out-of-commission cargo ships as a base of operations. They had each suited up within ten minutes and were aboard the quinjet, hopefully on their way to confront Ultron before he got his hands on any vibranium.

Nadia sat next to Natasha, both meticulously preparing their weapons for a fight. Nadia was sharpening her knives and Natasha was cleaning her guns, the two women working in silence. In fact, the entire quinjet was quiet. Usually before missions, the team was bantering with one another, arguing over the music choice that Tony had made for the trip, or even playing cards. They'd always been so calm before a fight, but now there was only tension.

'They'll be there, you know,' Natasha murmured low enough that only Nadia could hear. 'The Maximoff twins.'

'I know.'

Natasha didn't say anything else. They were all uneasy about this fight, unsure what to expect. They'd briefly seen what the twins could do, they knew what their powers were, but to know something was one thing. To see it, to experience it, to _believe_ it was another. The truth was they were walking in to face those kids blind, and the question remained - could they take out these kids if they are an actual threat?

Nadia slid the knife she was working on into her boot and stood, stretching. Spotting Tony tinkering with his armour in the corner, a screwdriver behind his ear and a frown on his face, Nadia made her way over to him. He didn't look up as she approached, his focus on a panel of loose wiring in front of him.

She picked up the correct tool and handed it to him before he could ask or even reach for it himself, and she shot him a small smile. 'You okay?'

'Peachy.'

Her eyebrows went up and she crossed her arms. 'Can I ask you a question?'

'Absolutely not.'

'Well I'm going to anyway.'

'Then why ask permission?'

'Because I'm nice like that.'

Tony rolled his eyes, 'Right.'

Nadia lowered her voice, 'Why did you do it? Build Ultron?'

Tony didn't answer for a few moments, and his silence bothered Nadia more than anything. He was a notoriously loud human being, so when he was quiet, it usually meant there was something going on.

'I saw it,' he said softly, and Nadia had to lean in to hear him. 'I had a dream or a vision…whatever you want to call it. I saw the end of the world and there was nothing I could do to stop it.'

She put her hand on his shoulder. 'We saved the world once, Tony. We can do it again, together.'

He scoffed, 'Now you sound like Spangles.'

Nadia frowned and dropped her hand. 'You don't think we can win again.'

'We barely won last time.' He said, and Nadia hated to admit it, but he was right. Back then they were a group of strangers, thrown together by Fury to save the world against a foe they knew nothing about. They were untested as a team.

'We're stronger now than we were then.'

'We are not enough.' Tony said simply, meeting her eyes. Nadia saw the truth in his eyes, the devastation and fear he held there. He truly believed that for whatever reason, they were doomed, and he had tried to stop that from becoming their fate by creating Ulron.

'Why didn't you tell me?' She wondered, watching as he dropped her gaze and turned back to tinkering.

'Didn't want you to have to lie to Captain Honesty over there.' Tony jerked his head towards where Steve was standing, arms crossed and staring out the window. 'Bruce and I had worked on the concept of Ultron before, but the technology to create something like him doesn't exist.'

'Until,' Nadia caught on, 'You happened to collect Loki's sceptre, which holds a mysterious gem that can take over people's minds.'

'I only had a limited time with the thing before it was shipped back to Asgard. I didn't exactly have time to hold a committee.'

'You also knew what the team would say.' Nadia pursed her lips before adding, 'I know you better than you think, Stark.'

'I won't apologise for trying to make the world a safer place, even if the rest of you don't agree with my methods.' Tony bit out tensely, his hand fisting around the precision tool in his hand. 'I saw my chance and I took it.'

Nadia pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed quietly. 'Your intentions were honourable, Tony, no one is denying that. I just…I wish you'd told me. I wish you'd trusted me enough to tell me how you were feeling, even.'

She was still angry at him and Bruce both for creating their newest enemy, but she was more than a little hurt they had kept this project from her. She had spent ages in the lab with them, working through some impossible task or another, joking to ease the tension, and just talking. Nadia had assumed a close bond existed between herself and Tony, and clearly, she was mistaken.

'This thing you have built, this technology you messed with – it has consequences.' Nadia continued and she hated the way that Tony's shoulders slumped a little. 'We will help you fix this, but you can't keep us in the dark just because you think we'll disagree.'

'Would you have?' Tony lifted his head, jaw set with determination. He pointed the precision tool at her. 'If you'd known, would you have agreed to it? Would you have helped me build Ultron?'

Nadia only hesitated a moment, because she knew the answer. 'No.'

Tony looked disappointed but unsurprised. 'Why?'

'Because…we've been down this path before, Tony. Fury tried to create a global peacekeeping tool, and it got hijacked by a bunch of neo-Nazis intent on wiping out millions of people. Who's to say that Ultron couldn't have been turned against us as well?'

Tony's mouth turned down in dismay. 'I guess we'll never know.'

'Tony…' Nadia sighed. 'Don't be mad just because I don't agree.'

'I'm not mad.'

'You're upset.'

'I'm irritated that none of you are taking this seriously. We are not enough to protect this world.' He snapped. 'I'm doing what needs to be done.'

Nadia frowned. 'You think you know what's best to protect us?'

'Yes.'

'That's dangerously arrogant, Stark, even for you.' She said angrily, shaking her head. 'I understand why you did this, why you built him and even why you didn't tell us. I don't like it and I don't agree with what you've done. But don't make the mistake of thinking that we don't care as much as you.'

Tony studied her face for a long time, brown eyes taking in every blink she made and examining her expression. She hoped he saw the seriousness in her eyes, the disapproval in the set of her mouth, but also the fact that her jaw was not clenched and that her face wasn't flushed in anger. She was angry and hurt, but she was also sympathetic of his fear.

Everything she said had been the truth. She understood the compulsion to protect people and doing things people may not agree with to do it. As a doctor, she had needed to make tough calls to save someone's life, and her decisions and motives had been questioned countless times. However, there had been a team of surgeons and nurses to debate with her, to keep her in check and offer different opinions. Tony had kept them all in the dark because he had known the team wouldn't approve. It spoke to both his desperation to do this and the fact he knew on some level that it was wrong. The fact he'd done it anyway, fuelled the anger she felt towards Tony. She'd always known who he was before becoming Iron Man, but she'd hoped that maybe he'd moved past that and learned. But it seems that he hadn't, that he was still content to make life or death decisions for others – the consequences be damned.

'We're making our final approach.' Clint said from the pilot's seat.

'Okay, everyone. Gather round.' Steve called and Nadia took another long look at Tony before turning away, joining the team. 'This is how it's going to go.'

X

Nadia crept along the corridor, seawater and rust filling her nose with every step she took. The inside of the ship was cold and dim, making is hard to see. She'd changed her eyes briefly, taking on the vision of an eagle to navigate her way towards where Ultron was. It was agreed that Steve, Thor and Tony would engage the hostiles directly, while she and Natasha flanked the boys on either side. Clint was above, ready to cover them.

Nadia adjusted the grip on her long knives and peeked over the walkway. There were missiles and weapons everywhere, sticking out of barrels labelled _Oil_ or _Toxic Waste_. She saw thousands of loose bullets in a crate, the brassy sheen glinting in the dim light. Sweat gathered on her forehead, anxiety bubbling in her stomach as she spotted the people below. The Maximoff twins stood off to the side, watching the deal go down with sharp eyes. Nadia recognised the hungry expressions, the anger and the sadness that sat deep in their eyes. She could recognise orphans when she saw them, as she had the same look growing up. She felt a pang of sympathy for them, knowing what it was like to be alone in the world, to be different.

Beside them stood the man from the photo that Tony had passed around only hours ago. A tall, muscular black man hovered at Klaue's shoulder, a gun holstered at his hip. But most astonishing of all, was the tall, silver robot that towered over all the humans. He was at least eight feet tall, eyes a terrifying red and his stature so unlike Tony's legionnaire robots that Nadia couldn't help but stare.

'You know, it came at great personal cost. It's worth billions.'

'Now, so are you.' Ultron replied and Nadia took a deep breath at hearing that metallic, menacing voice again. 'It's all under your dummy holdings? Finance is so weird. But I always say, "Keep your friends rich and your enemies rich, and wait to find out which is which."'

There was a long pause before Klaue muttered, 'Stark.'

'What?'

'Tony Stark used to say that...to me. You're one of his.'

'What?! I'm not...!' Ultron grabbed Klaue by the arm in a vicious grip and Nadia tensed. 'I'm not. You think I'm one of Stark's puppets, his hollow men? I mean look at me, do I look like Iron Man? Stark is nothing!'

Nadia watched in horror when Ultron brought his huge metal arm down, and it sliced right through the flesh and bone of Klaue's arm. He staggered back, shocked at the sudden pain and loss of his arm, and Ultron hissed in sympathy.

'I'm sorry. I am sor... Ooh, I'm sure that's going to be okay. I'm sorry, it's just I don't understand. Don't compare me with Stark!' Ultron lashed out, kicking Klaue away from him. Nadia glanced to her left, where Natasha was edging along the walkway with her gun in her hand. Suddenly, Ultron cried, 'He's a sickness!'

A mechanical hum filled the air, and Nadia looked back to see Tony in his Iron Man suit land in the middle of the ship, facing off against Ultron.

'Ahh, Junior. You're gonna break your old man's heart.' Tony quipped, his voice altered by his suit. Thor and Steve flanked Tony, both tense and ready.

'If I have to.' Ultron said blandly.

'Nobody has to break anything.' Thor said, his grip tight on Mjolnir.

'Clearly you've never made an omelette.'

'He beat me by one second.' Tony stated. Nadia rolled her eyes.

Pietro Maximoff stepped forwards and Nadia took him in. The twins couldn't be older than seventeen or eighteen, but they looked older in the way children do when the world has worn them down. His hair was a pale blonde on top, but his stubble and roots were brown. Beside him, his sister had dark hair and eyes, wearing a red dress and boots. Power radiated from the both of them, and Nadia rolled her shoulders.

'Ah, this is funny, Mr. Stark.' He said, his accent thick and tone mocking. 'It's what, comfortable? Like old times?'

'This was never my life.' Tony replied sadly.

Steve stepped forwards and addressed the twins, 'You two can still walk away from this.'

'Oh, we will.' Wanda promised.

Steve continued. 'I know you've suffered – '

Ultron interrupted with a derisive groan. 'Ughh. Captain America. God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war.'

Nadia blinked at the words, her stomach twisting. It was something she herself had wondered many times over; could Steve have a life without fighting?

'I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but...' Ultron mocked.

'If you believe in peace, then let us keep it.' Thor said.

'I think you're confusing peace with quiet.'

'Yuh-huh.' Tony snapped impatiently. 'What's the Vibranium for?'

Nadia swore she saw Ultron smile. 'I'm glad you asked that, because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan!'

She watched as a fight broke out below and her heart jumped into her mouth when two of Ultron's robots dropped out of nowhere, engaging with Thor and Steve while Ultron grappled with Tony through the air. Pietro disappeared a blur of movement, and Wanda shot a red beam at Steve, knocking him on his ass.

'Incoming,' Natasha said, just as gunfire echoed through the metal ship. Nadia turned in time to see Klaue's mercenaries baring down on her, guns in their hands. With a swift kick, she send a rush of air towards them, knocking them backwards and back down the corridor. Racing forwards, she hurried to disarm and knock them out before they could get back up.

She turned and raced back towards the walkway, launching herself over the edge and landing on the lower level. Steve and Thor were working like a well-oiled machine to dismember the remaining robots and she saw Clint firing arrows from high above.

Her head tilted to the side as her hair stood up on end. She could sense the movement of Pietro, too fast to see but his footfalls still made an impact on the floor. He was coming towards her and in a blink, she turned and dropped, swinging her leg out so that her heel caught his ankle. She heard him shout in surprise as he tumbled down onto the lower level. Righting herself, Nadia looked around, readying herself for another attack.

Through the comm system, Nadia heard Steve speak. '_Thor! Status?_'

Thor replied instantly. '_The girl tried to warp my mind. Take special care, I doubt a human could keep her at bay. Fortunately, I am mighty._'

Nadia rolled her eyes at Thor's boasting, a smile tugging on her lips. She threw one of her knives at one of Ultron's robots, watching as it crashed into the side of the ship with a loud clanging sound as metal met metal. She turned and stopped abruptly, a gasp tearing from her lips as Wanda Maximoff stood before her, a vicious snarl on her face as she moved her hands quickly, and a stream of read light flew directly at Nadia's face.

Nadia recoiled instantly, losing her footing and falling against the wall. Her brain felt fuzzy, her vision blackened and everything went silent around her.

'_You're worthless.'_

'_You're nothing.'_

'_Freak.'_

'_Who would want you?'_

'_You don't belong here.' _

_The voices of her foster parents, her foster siblings, every teacher and classmate echoed in her head, and she was suddenly six years old again, cowering in the corner of her bedroom, her hands over her ears and tears rolling down her cheeks as her foster siblings beat her with clenched fists. _

_Then, she was ten, and she stood in the field on the farm she had lived on for two months, the corn field a blazing fire and her foster father clutching his arm as the skin there bubbled with burns and blisters while he screamed at her. _

_In a blink, she was fifteen and she was huddled at the bus stop, a book on her lap and her lips trembling with cold. She had run away from her last home when she had caught her foster brother climbing into bed with her. The loneliness gripped her heart harder than the hunger in her belly._

_Josef appeared and he sneered at her, his handsome face turning dark and ugly. 'You're a monster, Nadia. That's why I never looked for you. Nobody wants you and neither do I.' _

_Natasha took his place, her beautiful face cold. 'You thought we were friends? That's cute. You're just a weak little girl with no idea how the real world works.'_

_Steve was next, and Nadia tried to get to him, but however far she ran, he never got any closer. He gave her a pitying look, his blue eyes like ice. 'You will never be enough. You will always be second best…never chosen…alone. I never loved you. You never belonged.'_

_She watched as beside him, Natasha appeared, then Tony, then Josef, then Bruce and Thor and Clint and Sam. They all turned away from her, disgust on their faces and rejection in their eyes. Fear grabbed her in a vice-like grip, and Nadia felt like she couldn't breathe. _

'_No don't…' she begged, but they just walked away from her. She tried to run after them, but she couldn't reach them. 'Don't leave me! Come back!' _

_Gasping, she looked around, and the darkness faded to reveal a blackened battlefield, fires raging and the earth scorched. Buildings stood in ruins, crumbling onto top of the bodies and bones that littered the ground, the entire earth a mass grave, blood flowing like a river around her feet._

'_You did this.' The voice whispered. 'You killed them.'_

'_No.' Nadia shook her head._

'_You're a monster. A killer.'_

'_Stop it.' She cried, covering her ears. _

'_You destroyed the world. Your powers are too strong.'_

'_No, no, no! Stop it! Stop it please!' _

'_Monster. Murderer. You can't save anyone. You can't even save yourself. You are all alone.' _

'_NO!'_

Nadia blinked and vision disappeared. Her whole body was shaking violently, and she was drenched in sweat. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sat frozen, unable to move, unable to breathe.

Clint's face appeared in her vision and Nadia flinched away from him. 'Hey, hey. It's okay. You're okay. Let's get you out of here.'


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Eighteen

She couldn't remember how she'd gotten on the quinjet. Her cheeks felt stiff from where her tears had dried and her throat was tight with lingering fear from that vision. She had stopped shaking at least – she hadn't even noticed she'd cut herself when she'd fallen on the ship until Tony had gently patched her up. Nobody was saying a word, silence hanging over them like a blanket and if the others had experienced visions like the one Nadia had, she didn't blame them for their quiet.

A shiver wracked down her spine when she thought about what she had seen. The voices of every person who had ever made her feel unworthy, telling her all the things she had heard in the past and feared hearing again. The people she cared about most, her family and friends, telling her she was a monster, that she didn't belong, that she would never be one of them. Then she'd seen her worst and most dreaded fear, the one she had had since she was old enough to know what fear was. The entire world, dead and decimated at her feet because of what she had done.

Nadia looked down at her hands, convinced that there would be blood staining her fingers. Her skin was dirty and scratched but otherwise there was no blood. The vision flashed before her eyes again and she jammed her hands under her thighs, unwilling to look at them anymore.

She glanced around at her teammates, each wearing the same disturbed and haunted expression that was no doubt on her own face. Clint was piloting the jet while Tony made phone calls.

'_The news is loving you guys. Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air._' Maria Hill's voice was loud in the stillness of the jet.

'Stark Relief Foundation?' Tony asked.

'_Already on the scene. How's the team_?'

'Everyone's…' Tony glanced around and locked eyes with Nadia. His expression grew grim at what he saw on her face. 'We took a hit. We'll shake it off.'

'_Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode and stay away from here._'

'So, run and hide?

'_Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer._'

Tony sighed heavily. 'Neither do we.'

Nadia looked away as he switched off the monitor and effectively ended the call. He wandered over to where Clint sat and Nadia tracked their movements. They were the only two that hadn't been subjected to the witch's magic. Nadia's gaze flickered to Bruce, who was huddled in the corner with a blanket, his back to everyone. He had certainly gotten the worst of it – where the rest of them had experienced visions, he had Hulked out, raging into a nearby city and wreaking havoc.

'Hey, you wanna switch out?' Tony asked Clint quietly.

'No, I'm good. If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time, cause we're still a few hours out.'

Nadia frowned at that, and Tony asked what she was thinking, 'A few hours from where?

'A safe house.'

X

Someone was shaking her awake, and Nadia blinked her eyes open blearily. She sat up quickly, her hand immediately going towards the knife at her belt. Steve bent over her, his expression wary and concerned.

'Hey. It's just me.' He said, and Nadia sighed in relief, relaxing slightly. She sat up and looked around the jet and immediately noticed that the engines were silent. 'We're at the safe house. Come on.'

Nadia rolled onto her feet and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she made her way down the quinjet's ramp. The others were already waiting outside in the early morning sun, Clint with his arm around Natasha's shoulders and Thor fidgeting with Mjolnir in his hands. Bruce had managed to find a shirt to wear after ripping his old one, his hair still a mess and deep guilt making his eyes droop.

They had landed in a small grove of trees to conceal the quinjet from being spotted from above and birds chirping broke the fresh, crisp morning air. Clint jerked his head to the left, using the arm that was around Natasha to steer her in the right direction.

'Come on,' he said, 'this way.'

Obediently they followed, exiting the small grove and down a hill towards a small farmstead. Nadia felt Steve's hand on her lower back, a small comfort in her distress. She didn't think she could handle him touching her more intimately, like taking her hand or putting an arm around her.

The hills and fields around them were a healthy green, undisturbed by people. The barn was rustic and a little decrepit but from overuse rather than neglect. There was an old rusting pickup truck parked on the front lawn. The house, however, was lovely – a white weatherboard building with a wrap-around porch and green storm shutters. There was a rocking chair on the porch and a welcome mat.

'What is this place?' Thor asked as they climbed the steps to the front door.

'Safe house?' Tony guessed.

Clint looked at them all and opened the door with a small creak. 'Let's hope.'

They entered the house, which smelled like vanilla and new wood. The interior was warm and cozy, a small piano nestled in the corner, a dining table that was littered with crayons and coloured pencils. There were children's toys on the couch and around the small coffee table in the living room and the kitchen smelled like cookies. This house was exactly what Nadia had always dreamed of having, of living in.

'Honey?' Clint called into the house, 'I'm home.'

A very pretty pregnant woman came in from the kitchen, brightly coloured pictures clutched in her hand. She had dark hair and eyes, a kind face and pleasant smile. She exuded warmth and Nadia felt some of her unease slip away.

'Hi. Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead.' Clint said somewhat sheepishly.

'Hey.' The woman replied, before stepping into Clint's embrace and kissing him tenderly. Nadia blinked.

Tony frowned in confusion and turned to Thor. 'This is an agent of some kind.'

Clint wrapped an arm around the woman who was obviously his wife and turned towards his befuddled team. 'Gentleman, Doc, this is Laura.'

'I know all your names.' Laura said and Tony lifted a hand awkwardly in greeting. Nadia shot her a weak smile.

Footsteps pounded on the wooden floor and Nadia instantly flinched at the sound. She felt Steve stiffen beside her.

Clint grinned. 'Ooh, incoming.'

Two small children came running in the room, one a boy with floppy brown hair and Clint's eyes and the other a little girl with her hair in pigtails and wearing a yellow cardigan.

'Daddy!' the little girl squealed happily, and Clint stooped down to pick up his daughter, a large grin on his face.

'Hi sweetheart!' He wrapped his free arm around his son and kissed the top of his head. 'Hey, buddy! How you guys doing? Ooh...'

Tony pointed a finger at the children, 'These are...smaller agents.'

'Look at your face! Oh, my goodness!' Clint gushed. Nadia chanced a look at Steve, who was wearing the most astounded expression she had ever seen on him.

'Did you bring Auntie Nat?' the little girl asked her father as she was set back on the ground.

Natasha stepped forward with a happy grin. 'Why don't you hug her and find out?'

The girl rushed towards Natasha, who picked her up in her arms and cradled her close with a delighted smile. Nadia couldn't help when the corners of her lips twitched upwards in a smile.

Steve tucked his thumbs into his belt. 'Sorry for barging in on you,' he apologised.

Tony crossed his arms. 'Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed.'

Clint nodded, looking contrite. 'Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off SHIELD's files, I'd like to keep it that way. I figure it's a good place to lay low.'

Nadia was looking at Clint in an entirely different light. She would never had guessed that he was married with children, but then again, he was a spy with many secrets. It explained where he was always sneaking off to for days on end with no explanations or excuses.

Laura wrapped Natasha in a warm embrace. 'Honey. Ah, I missed you.'

Nadia heard a crunching sound behind her and looked to see Thor staring down at a small toy house he had stepped on and accidently broken. He hastily used his shoe to sweep the remnants under the table, Steve watching with a raised eyebrow. Thor shot them both a grimace and Nadia had to fight not to giggle.

Natasha touched Laura's pregnant belly. 'How's little Natasha, huh?

Laura frowned and replied, 'She's…Nathaniel.'

Natasha bent towards Laura's pregnant stomach and murmured, 'Traitor.'

The toaster popped and Nadia jumped at the sudden noise. Steve threw her a concerned look but he quickly averted his attention to Thor, who strode from the room and out the front door, Steve hot on his heels.

Nadia felt a tug on her pants and looked down to find Clint's daughter staring up at her with big, brown doe eyes. She was so sweet and adorable, Nadia's heart melted.

'Can you really fly?' she asked, and Nadia raised her eyebrows and then crouched in front of the child so that they were eye-to-eye.

'I sure can.'

The girl's eyes widened comically. 'Wow!'

Nadia smiled. 'What's your name?'

'Lila.'

'Hi Lila, I'm Nadia. It's very nice to meet you.'

'My daddy said you're a doctor. Do you fix people?'

'When they're hurt, yes, I do.'

'Okay, little miss,' Laura came over and shooed her daughter away, 'Stop bothering the lady.'

'Aw mum.' Lila complained, but she left, going over to speak with Natasha instead.

Laura shot Nadia a wan smile. 'Sorry about that. Kids. They're full of questions.'

Nadia shook her head. 'I don't mind.'

Laura's dark eyes, the exact same shade as her daughter's, examined Nadia carefully, her expression softening. 'You must be exhausted. I have some clothes you can borrow if you want to change and freshen up.'

Nadia's shoulders sagged in relief. 'That would be wonderful, thank you.'

Laura waved a dismissive hand. 'It's the least I can do. From what Clint tells me, you've patched him up on more than one occasion.'

'Just doing my job.'

Laura smiled in reply and led Nadia into the small bathroom upstairs. She left briefly to get her some clothes and brought them back. Laura explained that they were from before she became pregnant and that they should fit her. Nadia thanked her for the gesture and quickly stripped out of her bloodied suit, washing out the dirt and grime as best she could. She dressed in the high-waisted mom jeans that Laura had given her, along with the black t-shirt and cardigan. She kept her boots on and tied her hair up into a ponytail. Nadia slipped her matching daggers from their sheathes on the back of her suit into the waistband of her jeans, tucking her shirt down over the hilts to cover them. After scrubbing her face clean and spending way too much time staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror, Nadia left the bathroom. She gathered up her suit and marched down the stairs and out into the front yard.

Clint was working on the front porch with his son, his daughter sitting in the rocking chair with a children's book. Tony and Steve were in the front chopping wood for the huge fireplace in the living room. Steve had changed out of his suit into jeans and his under-armour shirt, his shield leaning against the small picnic table nearby.

Nadia hurried over to the washing line and hung up her suit, hoping the sun would dry it before she needed it next. She bit her lip as flashes of her vision pressed against the forefront of her mind, and she shook her head.

She walked over to the picnic table and sat down, crossing her legs and putting her hands flat on her thighs. She closed her eyes and concentrated on clearing her mind, focussing on the rhythmic sounds of Steve and Tony shopping woods, the rustling of the trees in the wind and the way the sun felt on the bare skin of her face.

Meditation was one of the few ways that helped her keep control over her emotions, helped her focus. The techniques she had learned had prevented her from having outbursts that could trigger her powers, causing harm to those around her. Nadia's emotions had never been more fragile than they were right now.

She hated what she had seen. She hated what she had experienced. The witch hadn't revealed anything new to Nadia, hadn't exposed any fears that she wasn't already aware of. But to be utterly consumed and surrounded by those anxieties was horrible. She felt like she had been picked apart and exposed for all the world to see.

Taking a deep breath, Nadia readjusted her position atop the table and let out a deep breath, counting her breaths as her mind went blank and she listened.

'Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?' Tony asked.

Steve paused before answering. 'Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception.'

'Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him.'

There was another chop as axe met wood and Nadia slowly opened her eyes, watching the men in front of her. Tony hadn't suffered a vision from the witch, but he bore bruises and cuts from his altercation with the Hulk.

'"Earth's Mightiest Heroes."' Steve scoffed, 'Pulled us apart like cotton candy.'

Tony stared at Steve. 'Seems like you walked away all right.'

Nadia immediately knew that wasn't true. While Steve's features were calm and collected, his shoulders were tense, and she could see the way his jaw ticked every so often. His vision had bothered him, but he was reluctant to show it.

Steve straightened up and met Tony's gaze. 'Is that a problem?' he asked coolly.

'I don't trust a guy without a dark side.' Tony replied readily, swinging his axe down on the log and then looking back up at Steve. 'Call me old fashioned.'

'Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet.'

Tony took a step towards Steve and set his axe aside. 'You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?'

'Well I guess you'd know. Whether you tell us is a bit of a question.' Steve snarked back, bitterness tinging his voice.

'Banner and I were doing research.'

'That would affect the team.'

'That would end the team!' Tony exclaimed as Steve went and picked up another log. 'Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the "why" we fight, so we can end the fight, so we get to go home?!'

Steve ripped the log of wood apart with his bare hands, anger clouding his expression. Nadia's eyebrows shot up and Tony stood his ground as Steve bore down on him.

'Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.' Steve growled.

Nadia saw Tony's eyes widen from where she sat, both with anger and guilt. They both understood the things Steve had left unsaid – that as far as Steve was concerned, every person who had been hurt or killed by Ultron…their blood would be on Tony's hands.

She looked between the two of them like a tennis match was unfolding before her, the two glaring at each other. She hated that she understood where they were both coming from, hated that these two men whom she admired so much were at odds once again over what was right.

Laura appeared from behind Tony suddenly, an apprehensive look on her face at interrupting an undoubtedly tense moment. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, uh, Clint said you wouldn't mind, but, our tractor, it doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might...'

'Yeah, I'll give her a kick.' Tony said, dropping his gaze to the ground and half turning away before pointing to his pile of chopped wood. 'Don't take from my pile.'

Nadia watched him hurry towards the barn, his back somewhat bowed and she pursed her lips, eyes darting back to the man in front of her. Steve put his hands on his hips and looked down at his shoes, letting out a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes again and focussed on her breathing. She could feel the tension rolling off him from where she sat, the air thick with his anxiety and guilt.

'Do you think I was too harsh with him?'

She sensed him sit down next to her and she cracked her eyes open again. She continued to look around the farm, the tranquillity of the quiet soothing her rattled nerves as she considered her answer.

'Yes…and no.' Nadia finally replied. 'I think you said what he needed to hear, but at the same time I think that hearing it was still hard for him.'

Steve rubbed his forehead tiredly. 'I know he was trying to do the right thing, but it was just so…'

Nadia nodded in understanding. 'He isn't like you, honey. He doesn't think the same way you do, and he hasn't always felt the need to help others.'

'I don't need him to think the same way as me, I just need him to understand what is right and what is wrong.'

'That's a matter of perspective.'

Steve frowned, 'Are you defending him?'

Nadia huffed angrily and turned to look at him. 'No. I think what he did was reckless and stupid and I will never really forgive him for it. He made a huge mess that we now have to clean up, and it has cost innocent people their lives. However, I won't fault him for trying to protect the people he loves through whatever means he has available. Or do you deny that you would do the same thing?'

Steve's frown deepened but he said nothing.

'Besides,' she continued. 'Banner is just as culpable in this situation. He helped Tony create Ultron so it's unfair to dump all the blame on Tony alone.'

'Tony would have gone ahead without Banner's help anyway. Would Bruce have done the same thing if the roles were reversed?'

They lapsed into silence. She knew he was right. Bruce was complicit in the research, the design of Ultron, but he wouldn't have unleashed him on the world without proper vetting. Tony wouldn't have hesitated. That was the difference.

'What did she make you see?' Nadia asked, hesitating to ask for a moment.

Steve looked at her then. 'What?'

'The witch. What did she make you see?' Nadia repeated. The others couldn't see the effect it had on Steve, but she could. He was tense and tired, that thousand-yard stare that was so prominent early on in their friendship back in his blue eyes. Steve rubbed his hands together, avoiding her gaze.

'I'll tell you what I saw.' She said, trying to keep her voice steady. 'I head the voices of every person who ever called me a freak, told me I wasn't good enough, told me I would never belong. Every ghost from my past that I have tried to forget came back. What was worse…was that the people that I have come to care for said those exact things, turned away from me and abandoned me. My worst fear, Steve, is that I'll be alone again, and it will be because of my powers, because I'm not worthy of being loved because of something I cannot change. I'm afraid that I will lose control and lose everything that matters to me. The thing that makes me strong is also my greatest weakness. I'm scared of being alone and that is what the witch made me see. A world that I had destroyed, a world in which I am entirely by myself.'

Steve was staring at her when she finally turned to face him. He looked horrified, disturbed and so very sad. Nadia blinked and realised her hands were shaking again. Steve obviously noticed as well, as he inched closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

'You will never be alone again, Nadia. You have a family now who love and respect you, a family who will never abandon you.' Steve squeezed the arm that was around her. 'And as for your powers, it's like you said – they make you strong. Your strength isn't something to be scared of, just respected.'

She felt comfort at his words, but remnants of the vision were still there, and she doubted she would forget them until the day she died. He hadn't told her anything she didn't already know, deep within her heart, but feelings weren't always rational, weren't always easy to control and fear was the wiliest of emotions.

'What did you see?' She asked again and Steve licked his lips, his arm slipping from around her shoulders.

'It was back in the war – or after it, I guess – and I was at a dance hall. There were soldiers dancing with their girls, taking photos and laughing over spilled wine. But I didn't really see that. I saw men who were fighting on the battlefield, I saw the flashes of light that accompany explosions, I saw the blood of a wounded soldier. It seemed that everywhere I looked, I was supposed to see joy and celebration, but all I saw was pain and war.

'That's my fear, doll. That Ultron was right and that I'm not capable of living a life without fighting. I've done it my whole life. I fought for my health, I fought bullies and then the Nazi's. I don't know what normal life even is anymore.'

'That's just your PTSD talking. You never got closure, Steve. It's understandable that you're conflicted about your place, your _purpose _now, but don't think for a moment that finding a new normal is impossible.'

'The only thing I know how to do in this time is fight. War is chaotic and unpredictable but it's familiar. Nothing feels the same because nothing is the same. Nothing feels like home…' Steve turned to her and she was startled to see that there were tears in his eyes. 'Except you.'

Gently, she cradled his face in her hands and he closed his eyes against her touch. 'Ultron was wrong. You can live without a war, without fighting. You've already proven that. Together we have made plans for our future with a yard and jobs and kids and vacations and lazy Saturday mornings. You may be a solider, Steve Rogers, but you are also a man who wants a home. Yours was taken from you so you made a new one. If you're going to fight for anything, fight for that.'

Eyes still closed, Steve nodded, and Nadia brought his head down to lean their foreheads together, drinking in the others comfort.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel. **

Chapter Nineteen

Nadia and Steve had taken a long walk together around the farmstead after their talk. They had both shared their visions, fears and worries that they'd kept buried and felt lighter for it. Ultron had hoped to weaken them and tear them apart by having the witch mess with their minds and while he had succeeded in knocking them down, they were ready to get back up, stronger than ever.

When Nick Fury had shown up, Steve was filled with mixed feelings. While he admired and respected the man, he had a knack of showing up at the most unexpected of times. Laura and Clint hadn't been surprised by his arrival, so perhaps this wasn't his first visit to the Barton home.

Dinner had been a peaceful affair. Nadia had helped Laura prepare the food while the children had set the table. Steve and Clint had brought in extra chairs from the basement and they'd all sat down together to eat. The last time Steve had been in at a sit-down family meal had been Thanksgiving, 1941 at the Barnes household. Bucky's mother had cooked up a small feast, his sisters had bickered over the potatoes and Bucky had given him a large helping of everything.

This meal was similar but different in the same ways. Natasha let Lila talk her ear off about the new bike she'd gotten while Tony and Fury had argued over who got the last dinner roll. Clint and Laura had bent close to each other, talking in whispers while Bruce merely ate his dinner in silence. Clint's son, Cooper, kept staring at Steve with a mixture of trepidation and awe, never saying a word.

After they had eaten, Clint collected and washed the dishes while his children were sent into the living room to amuse themselves under Laura's watchful eye. Fury didn't waste time getting down to business as he made himself a sandwich at the counter.

'Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing.' He said grimly.

Steve crossed his arms and leaned against the door, watching as Lila Barton raced around the table to show her Aunty Natasha the picture she had drawn for her. 'What about Ultron himself?'

'Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though.'

Tony threw his collection of darts at the board on the wall. 'He still going after launch codes?'

'Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway.'

'I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare.' Tony bragged, and Nadia threw Steve an amused look over her shoulder.

'Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that.' Fury said, pouring himself a class of iced tea.

Steve frowned, 'NEXUS?'

Bruce piped up from the corner of the room. 'It's the world internet hub in Oslo, every byte of data flows through there. It's the fastest access on earth.'

Clint squinted at the dart in his hand. 'So, what'd they say?'

'He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed.' Fury replied.

'By whom?' Tony asked and then jerked his head backwards as two darts flew past him and slammed into the bullseye. Steve grinned at the annoyed look on his face, and the smug, lazy shrug that Clint offered in reply.

'Parties unknown.' Fury said.

Natasha looked up. 'We have an ally?'

'Ultron's got an enemy, that's not the same thing.' Fury pointed out. 'Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is.'

Tony braced his hands on the doorway. 'I might need to visit Oslo, find our "unknown."'

Natasha sighed and shook her head, looking as dismayed as Steve felt. 'Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that.'

Fury gestured to the various Avengers scattered around the room. 'I do, I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard.'

'Steve doesn't like that kind of talk.' Natasha replied smartly and Nadia choked on her tea.

Steve grumbled good naturedly. 'You know what, Romanoff?'

Natasha smiled mischievously at him which took the sting out of the jibe.

'So, what does he want?' Fury prodded and there was a beat of silence around the room.

'To become better.' Steve answered eventually. 'Better than us. He keeps building bodies.'

'Person bodies.' Tony added. 'The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it.'

Natasha looked between Bruce and Tony and snarked, 'When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed.'

Bruce looked up from the picture of a butterfly that Lila had drawn and was now staring at Nadia. 'They don't need to be protected, they need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve.'

'How?' Fury asked.

'Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?'

Nadia frowned deeply. 'You think he would use the regeneration cradle to create a new body?'

'The vibranium.' Tony supplied, looking at Fury. 'You said that you think it could be for more than one thing.'

'But the regeneration cradle prints tissue, right?' Steve wondered aloud, recalling what Nadia had told him about the project. 'Could it build a living body?'

'The uses for Vibranium are unknown because the metal is so rare.' Nadia replied. 'The next step of the project was to see if it could build other parts of the body, not just tissue, such as bone and muscle. Theoretically it's possible but we hadn't even begun to work on it.'

'Ultron has access to our notes.' Bruce reminded her. 'If anyone could figure it out, it'd be him.'

'He's been researching you too, Doc.' Fury added. Steve's gaze narrowed on the retired director and Nadia cocked her head. 'It makes sense if he is interested in evolving past the normal human body. Your genes are the next step for humanity and it's all the evidence that Ultron needs to confirm his theory that under the right circumstances, humans can change.'

'That's why he was so interested? Because Nadia represents all his hopes?' Natasha wondered aloud.

Steve felt suddenly protective of his girlfriend, moving forward and putting his hands on the back of her chair, hovering over Nadia as she sat. 'You think he'll come after her?'

'No.' It was Tony who replied. 'He knows that she could take him with one hand tied behind her back. He'll avoid her at all costs probably.'

'Not to mention she embodies his philosophy about humanity needing to evolve. He won't hurt her – he's fascinated by her.' Bruce added.

'Well,' Nadia said, getting to her feet and feeling uncomfortable. 'We should probably get moving. Ultron's probably already in Korea with Doctor Cho and we need to stop him from creating another body.'

'Suit up.' Steve ordered. There was a sudden flurry of activity as they all rushed about. Steve unzipped the hoodie he had donned and redressed in the top part of his suit quickly. Nadia sidled up to him and took his hand in hers, her suit slung over her shoulder.

'I'm going to go with Bruce to the Tower. He's going to need help with dismantling the cradle and we'll have to do it quickly.'

Steve didn't like the idea of being separated from her, not after what Bruce had revealed about Ultron's captivation with her, but he saw the wisdom in her words. 'You be careful, yeah?'

Nadia snorted, eyes sparkling. 'The man with the lowest sense of self-preservation on the planet is telling _me_ to be careful. That's rich.'

He rolled his eyes and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. 'Smartass.'

'You love my smart ass.' She retorted.

'I do.' He mumbled into the crown of her head. After too short an embrace, he stepped away from her, straightening his shoulders. 'I'll see you back at the tower soon.'

Nadia rocked up onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, one that was both farewell and a promise. 'Be careful. You still owe me a trip to Paris.'

Before he could say anything witty in reply, she'd slipped from his arms and out of the house. Shaking his head in amusement, he turned towards the couch and picked up his shield. Cooper had been playing with it earlier, and Steve would be the first to admit that seeing the little boy running around the backyard with it on his arm while pretending to fight off aliens was adorable.

Tony stepped into the room, slipping his phone into his breast jacket pocket as he did so. Steve addressed him as he slid his shield onto his back. 'I'll take Natasha and Clint.'

Tony nodded. 'Alright, strictly recon. I'll hit the NEXUS, I'll join you as soon as I can.'

Steve hesitated. 'If Ultron is really building a body...'

'He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot.'

Steve sighed. 'You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me.'

Fury joined them like a ghost emerging from shadow, his footsteps making no sound. 'I'll drop Banner off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?

'She's all yours, apparently.' Tony quipped. Fury shot him a look with a raised eyebrow. 'What are you gonna do?'

'I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope.' He drawled in reply.

'Nadia is going with Bruce to prep things at the tower.' He told Fury, who nodded and strode from the house. Steve then turned to Tony and observed the older man. While he regretted some of the things he had said earlier, he had been speaking the truth. They were in this mess because of Tony and as a result, a crazy robot had a weird as hell crush on his girlfriend and was preparing to wipe human life from the face of the earth.

'Good hunting, Rogers.'

'Take care Stark.'

X

Nadia stood with Bruce and Tony as Clint landed the quinjet in the Tower. Anxiety permeated every nerve in her body at what had transpired, but also the task in front of her. Natasha was missing, taken during the seizure of the regeneration cradle. The Maximoff twins had been spotted at the scene and Steve wasn't responding to her calls. Now she had to figure out a way to dismantle this new body, this new _weapon_ that Ultron had designed before he could recapture it.

Clint powered down the jet and lowered the ramp. Bruce and Tony both hurried aboard, examining the cradle while she barely listened. Clint braced his hands on his hips, looking devasted as he hunched under the weight of his guilt at losing Natasha. Nadia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing a little. His own hand came up to cover hers and he sent her a grateful smile that looked more like a grimace. Neither of them said anything but the look that passed between them was enough. They agreed – _they would get Natasha back._

The four of them carefully moved the cradle into Tony's laboratory and Nadia rolled up the sleeves of the cardigan the Laura Barton had leant her. Feeling indebted to the woman, before dinner the previous day Nadia had performed a check up on both expectant mother and baby. Laura had explained the due to the secrecy they lived in for their own protection, getting to see an OBGY-N was next to impossible. Nadia had delivered dozens of babies in her time as a doctor and had offered her services and support if the Barton's ever needed her. Laura had squeezed the young woman into her arms in a motherly hug and had accepted Nadia's offer of on-call medical care.

Picking up the nearby tablet, Nadia scanned the cradle and uploaded the information to their new database. Clint perched on top of the cradle and began trying to pry it open, both with his hands and a crowbar.

'Anything on Nat?' Bruce asked as Tony joined them in the lab.

Tony shook his head. 'Haven't heard. But she's alive, or Ultron'd be rubbing our faces in it.'

Clint grunted in annoyance as he dropped down from on top of the cradle. 'This is sealed tight.'

'We're going to need to access the program, break it down from within.' Bruce explained, unsurprised that they couldn't open it.

'I've already started working on a plan for that.' Nadia added, and Bruce nodded, taking up his position behind the computer.

'Hm.' Tony turned to Clint, 'Any chance Natasha might leave you a message, outside the internet, old school spy stuff?'

'There's some nets I can cast.' Clint said, turning towards the staircase. 'Yeah, alright. I'll find her.'

'Clint!' Nadia called, fishing around in her pocket before producing a cell phone. She tossed it to him, and he caught it deftly. 'There's a number in that phone that may be able to help.'

Clint nodded and tapped the phone against his palm, disappearing to the lower levels to get to work. Nadia turned back towards the others.

Bruce turned to the cradle and began tapping on the datapad that was nestled there. 'We can work on tissue degeneration, if you can fry whatever operational system Cho implanted.' He said, addressing Tony.

Tony scratched the back of his head, his face twisting in hesitation. 'Yeah, about that.'

Both Bruce and Nadia looked at Tony in surprise. While Nadia was trying to figure out what Tony intended, it seemed that Bruce was already there.

'No.'

Tony advanced towards Bruce, who spread his hands defensively and backed up. 'You have to trust me.'

'Kinda don't.'

'I'm lost.' Nadia admitted, watching the two of them.

'Our ally? The guy protecting the military's nuclear codes?' Tony said, taking out the small tablet from his pocket and flicking his wrist. 'I found him.'

A 3D holographic image of JARVIS's consciousness appeared in the empty space of the room. Nadia's eyes widened.

'Hello, Doctor Banner, Doctor Paolera.' JARVIS greeted cordially.

'Ultron didn't go after JARVIS cause he was angry.' Tony continued passionately. 'He attacked him because he was scared of what he can do. So JARVIS went underground. Okay? Scattered, dumped his memory. But not his protocols. He didn't even know he was in there, until I pieced him together.'

Bruce exhaled loudly through his nose, shaking his head and looking dubious. 'So, you want me to help you put JARVIS into this thing?' he asked, tapping the top of the cradle.

'Wait, what?!' Nadia cried, horrified at the notion.

Tony ignored her outburst. 'No, of course not! I want to help _you_ put JARVIS in this thing. Bruce shook his head again. 'We're out of my field here. You know bio-organics better than anyone.'

'And you just assume that JARVIS' operational matrix can beat Ultron's?' Bruce asked dubiously.

'JARVIS has been beating him from inside without knowing it. This is the opportunity, we can create Ultron's perfect self, without the homicidal glitches he thinks are his winning personality. We have to.'

Nadia gaped at the two men in front of her, unable to believe that this conversation was actually happening.

'I believe it's worth a go.' JARVIS added.

'No, I'm in a loop! I'm caught in a time loop, this is exactly where it all went wrong.' Bruce cried, looking desperate for Tony to understand him.

Tony nodded placatingly. 'I know, I know. I know what everyone's going to say, but they're already saying it.' Tony clapped a hand onto Bruce's shoulder and squeezed tightly. 'We're mad scientists. We're monsters, buddy. _You gotta own it_. Make a stand.'

Still, Bruce hesitated, and Tony added in a last-ditch effort to convince him. 'It's not a loop. It's the end of the line.'

Bruce met Tony's serious, earnest gaze and something seemed to pass between the two because after a beat, Bruce nodded with a defeated sigh. Nadia's eyes widened in incredulity at what had just transpired.

'Are you two actually fucking crazy?' She demanded harshly. Both turned towards her, surprised, as if they had forgotten she was there. 'First, you two build a robot designed to protect the world using unknown alien technology, which then goes incredibly badly as that robot decides that the best thing for the planet is widespread destruction of humanity. And now, as we fight to defeat this threat that you two created, you want to make another robot, only this time one that is made from an indestructible material and has the gem from Loki's sceptre plastered to its forehead. Or am I mistaken?'

'Doc…' Tony started towards her, but she held up a hand, literally shaking with rage and disbelief.

'I know that when you created Ultron you were trying to do the right thing, trying to do something good. But this…this is just madness. You're trying to defeat a monster by creating another monster!'

'We would implant JARVIS's protocols to this android.' Tony explained patiently. 'It wouldn't be another Ultron – '

'You hope!' Nadia interrupted. 'You hope it wouldn't be another Ultron!'

'It's worth a try, Nadia.' Bruce said softly. Nadia whipped her gaze between the two men in front of her.

'I won't let you do it.' She declared finally. 'This is a mistake and you know it.'

Tony cocked his head to the side, eyeing her with a calculating look in his eye. 'And how do you plan to stop us?'

'I'll destroy it.' She said firmly, jerking her head towards the cradle. 'Here and now. You know I can.'

Bruce was edging around the cradle, coming up on her other side and Nadia tensed, feeling caged in.

'You're bluffing.' He said finally. 'You wouldn't risk hurting the other innocent people in the building to destroy it.'

Nadia whipped around to pin him with an icy glare. 'That's rich, considering you two have built a robot that is hell bent on wiping out every single person on the planet and as a result dozens of people have already been hurt or killed. You want to lecture me on hurting innocent people?'

Bruce lowered his gaze.

'We're trying to fix this, Nadia.' Tony insisted, coming to stand in front of her. 'You don't have to help, but you can't stop us.'

'Watch me.'

It happened so quickly. In the space of three seconds, Tony whipped up a needle that he'd hidden in his sleeve and jabbed it into Nadia's neck, pushing the plunger down. She yelped in pain, clapping a hand to her neck and shooting a hateful glare at a man she considered her friend before her vision went hazy and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.


End file.
